Cold, Cold Heart
by RiversDontBreak
Summary: Bucky makes a fateful decision to save a life one late night in Bucharest, doing so gives him a glimpse of who he used to be, and earns him the gratitude that might save him. If only he hadn't disappeared the next day. *CONTAINS CIVIL WAR SPOILERS* "Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold, cold heart" all titles and the story name come from Nat King Cole songs
1. Night Lights

A man walked in the shadows of the historic district of Bucharest. He kept to himself as much as he could, head down with his cap pulled down and a furtive hunted look in his strong blue eyes. He hung close to the buildings. He watched as a group of laughing girls exited an upscale night club. They saw him and quieted and scurried past, he could hear the sound of their high heels moving at a quicker pace without even looking up. He did look a little sketchy, he had to admit it, but it was better that way, people avoiding him protected them from him. He feared what he might do, every moment was a fight to stay lucid and not fall back into the default of his training.

He walked on, the great Church of Saint Catherine all ablaze from the lights that lit the front of it's massive facade. He had been in once, it had made remember going to church in his old life, it was fuzzy, but he had a memory of going to church. He felt that Steve had been there with him. Steve, the man he'd tried to kill and then saved his life from that river. Steve who he had known seventy years ago and been best friends with. But that life was such an illusionary past that he could never pin down, it was traces, like scenes from a movie, it didn't feel like that swaggering good natured, clear conscienced happy go lucky man in 1945 had ever been him.

A few blocks from the church, the glow still visible he found himself in a back alley behind some restaurants and the other side backed by some student housing.

"Leave me alone. I've nothing of value to give you" came a curt feminine voice trying to mask fear. Bucky knew what masked fear sounded like, he remembered victims who had tried to act brave before he had taken their lives. He looked down the corner of a little offshoot of the alley. A woman who looked to be a student was standing, cornered by four bulky looking men.

"You may have nothing, but you'll be worth something" one said coming forward. "We know your family, they've enough money to buy you back if they care to" the girl spit in his face.

"How dare you? My family" but her words were ended by a swift blow from his hand that sent her reeling.

"Or maybe we won't let you off that easy, there's other ways to make money off a girl like you" he said looking down at her as she struggled to her feet.

"Don't you even think about it, I'd rather die" she said, knowing that the sex trade was where he meant to send her if ransom failed.

"I don't care what you would or wouldn't rather" he said "stay down" he said kicking her in the stomach and sending her back to the ground.

"Hey" came a hoarse voice as the man felt his shoulder yanked on and hand as hard as stone punch him, fracturing his chin he felt for sure, but conscieniousness left him too soon to know more. "Why don't you guys pick on someone your own size" he said, looking over at the girl, he felt his ways as an asassin surging, but he couldn't kill, not now, not in front of an already frightened girl. He didn't like leaving witnesses, but, as he despatched another reeling blow to one of the ruffians, he thought, these guys aren't likely to go to the police. Without effort the last two fell to the ground at his hand. He looked at the girl with her bleeding forehead gasping curled on the ground. He felt he had done this sort of thing in his old life, back when he was the charmer with the generous heart. He thought about just leaving her, but something prompted him to go ask her how she was before he left her scared and alone in the alley. Maybe guilt, he thought as he walked over to her. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. Her head was pounding too much to hear. He bent down to where she was "hey" he said gently pulling her hand away from her head "are you okay?" he asked feeling a little awkward, and not quite understanding where this sudden concern for others was coming from.

"I think so" she said wiping her head, she looked at the smear of blood on the back of her hand "could be worse" she said trying to stand up. She started to slide back downwards but she felt his hand take hers and lift her to her feet as casually as if he had just lifted a child's doll.

"Can I take you somewhere where you'll be safe" he said his arm of flesh steadying her and helping to hold her upright.

"I don't know where that is, those thugs knew a little too much about me to feel safe anywhere right now."

He paused, trying to think of something, he didn't want to go to a hospital, he'd get asked to fill out one of those forms and have too much attention on him, he knew he could fix up her wounds easily and so he decided, despite all reason, to take her back to his flat and bandage her up and then in the morning she could find her way back to wherever she felt safe going.

"If it's alright, I can patch you up at my flat" he offered.

She nodded "I'd feel safe there" she said slumping further as the pain of her wounds fogged her mind further. The initial influx of endorphins was fading and now the pain was hitting her and making her head swim. She felt his arms shift and her feet were no longer treading pavement and she was horizontal in his arms. She let go of trying to stay lucid and put her head on his shoulder and fainted, reganing concsiousness as he walked up the stairs of a little run-down flat where she would never have willingly went for a million dollars after dark, but with her rescuer around she felt as safe as if she were back home in her warm bed back in the States.

He felt more uncomfortable with her trust than he did with the fear others showed him. How could she be comfortable around him, he looked like a scruffy homeless guy, he lived in a rundown little apartment with a suspicious few personal items. These thoughts and more went through his head as he cleaned the wound on her head and then bandaged it up. "I didn't tie it too tight did I?" he asked. He was always terrified that he would forget his own strength and crush someone's shoulder bones when he just meant to tap them. She looked up at him, and she saw that fear, that furtive fear and pain and she didn't know what to do about it, but she felt the need to help his need. She said a prayer in that moment that she would say the right words around him, he needed much and had lived a hard life, she could tell that much just by the lines on his face and the pain in his eyes.

"It's just fine" she said and then took his hand in hers "Thank you" her words were spoken with gentle sincerity and for a moment he was struck by the trust and kindness that shone in her soft grey eyes. He managed something not quite a smile, but less than his usual sterness.

"Just doing the right thing" he said and moved away, getting her a cup of water.

"Thanks" she took it and drained it, far more thirsty than she realized. He gave a wry smile and refilled it for her silently.

"So" she began, sipping her second cup "to whom do I owe my gratitude" she asked and he stopped, startled, trying quickly to think up something, he hated it when people tried to get personal, but it was just a name, and he wasn't afraid of this girl, just of hurting her or getting her into trouble.

"Bucky" he said sitting down on the edge of the bed because he only had the one chair.

"That's a funny name" she commented "back in Texas we have these giant convenience stores called Buccee's, don't suppose you're named after them though" she said giggling as she pulled her feet up and rested her chin on the top of her knees.

Something hoarse came from his throat, almost like a chuckle, if he could remember how to laugh "No, it's short for Buchanan" he said, he hadn't meant to.

"We have a lake in Texas named Buchanan" she observed, putting her feet back on the floor. A silence fell over the room for a half minute or so.

"You talk about Texas a lot" he said with another almost smile.

"It's where I'm from" she said, wanting to ask him where he was from but not daring to, she felt it would be a bad idea and she'd rather have his silence than his lies.

There was silence again.

"You never told me your name?" he said looking over at her threw the messy strands of hair that fell in his face.

"It's Candace" she said "Candace Ross" she smiled and went over, putting her hand out ot shake. He took it hesitantly and shook it. She sat down on the bed, a foot or so down from him.

"So why are you in Bucharest Candy" he said, he didn't know why he called her Candy, it was something his old self would have done, he felt sure of it, but him now, he had no idea where this stuff was coming from. Nicknames were not a thing emotionally scarred asassins did.

She looked at him funnily and gave a giggle at his nickname for her. "I'm visiting a friend who took orders and now is part of the clerics at Saint Catherine's. He's a great guy, he's helping raise awareness for the poverty in this city, and also he raises moeny for missions to other countries."

Bucky nodded, people being kind and reaching out for the impoverished seemed like a really noble, Steve sort of thing, to do. He looked over at her, looking at her properly for the first time since they had met a little over an hour ago. She had medium blonde hair and was a medium height her eye level evening up with his shoulders roughly. And those eyes, the eyes that looked on him with compassion and without fear. He looked away, focusing his blank stare on the refrigerator across the room. Silence fell and when he looked over he saw she had dozed against the footboard of the little bed. He got up, pulled the coverings back and moved so she lay the length of the bed, putting the pillow under head and pulling the covers back over her. He sat down in the plain wooden chair and stared out the slit in the curtains on the window at the city lights, focusing his eyes on something, trying to keep his mind on healthier things and not think on his past. He also had to think of what he was going to do now that someone knew his name and location, though not his identity it would seem. She would not likely be comfortable enough to fall asleep around someone who had so much blood on his hands.

An hour or so lately Candace stirred and opened her eyes, rubbing the haze from them to see Bucky looking straight at her.

"How do you do it?" he asked curiously.

She propped on one elbow looking at him curiously "Do what?"

"Sleep so soundly" he asked. He had looked over at her to check on her every now and then, and every time she had she had been sleeping as soundly as a baby in it's mother's arms.

"Because I don't fear much of anything, because my faith, even if I died in my sleep or something I'd be fine. Nothing hunts me and while I have regrets nothing haunts me" she said getting up and going over to him. "Speaking of which, you should get some rest yourself, I can nap on the floor or something until it's light. I can't just steal your bed, it wouldn't say much for my gratitude if I did" she chuckled softly.

"No, it's alright, I can't sleep, and right now at least I don't want to" he said looking up at her as she stood over him. In a way she did, despite the fact he would dwarf her if he got to his feet, she stood on this towering high ground of goodness and a wholesome life with a pure heart and clean hands. He felt like a scurrying sewer rat as she stood there practically beaming justice like one of those depictions of the saints in the mosaics inside Saint Catherine's.

She went back over to the bed. He was such a gentleman, it's like he'd fallen out of some other time zone like the 1940's or something. Other guys would have at least suggested they share the bed and more than likely tried to make a move on her, she was, after all, alone, in his apartment. But he just sat there, almost like a guard dog keeping a watchful eye on the door and it made her feel safe.

"Good night Bucky" she said sleepily as she snuggled into the covers.

"Good night Candy" he said. And by the time she woke up he, and the meagre personal posessions that had been in the apartment were gone. She looked around the apartment, hoping to find a clue, all she found was little button, an inch in diameter with a pin on the back and a print of Captain America's shield on the other side. She chuckled to herself, it seemed tall dark and mysterious was a fan of the star spangled Avenger. She put it in her pocket and then left. Determined one day to find the broken man named Bucky once more.

She called her father after she made arrangements to fly home early. After telling him the story she asked a question on the phone "Dad, if I find him again, would you talk to him?"

"Honey, he saved your life, there's not much I wouldn't do for him, after all helping people is my job, and from the sound of it this man is dealing with a lot" he said patiently. Richard Ross was the leading therapy psychiatrist in the central United States, he worked with dozens of severe PTSD cases and had helped his patience to peace. Bucky had been lucky with whose daughter he had saved.

Candy went home to the states and started back in at getting ready for the upcoming school year. She taught English Literature at a private high school. And every night after she graded papers before she went to bed she added Bucky to the list of those she said her prayers for. Even after Vienna, when she felt certain that there was a mistake and her savior was no mass murderer despite even her father's doubts, she kept praying for his sanity and safety. She knew one day she'd find him, and her father despite his doubts still promised his help.


	2. Straighten Up and Fly Right

Candace still wanted to find him. But that was hard with Captain America and half the Avengers on the wanted list as escaped prisoners. She knew there was one person not on the wanted list, she loathed the idea, but despite her aversion, she was as determined as ever, especially after learning who Bucky was and what he had been through, to help him. So with a groan she booked a flight during her Christmas break to Los Angeles. She had pulled some strings with her dad's old college friends who had helped Mr Stark with his therapy, she was granted an interview under the pretense of asking him to fund better education for the impoverished. She went to Stark's compound with an air of determination. The elevator opened and she took a deep breath. Everything Stark stood for was against what she felt, he had alienated his own teammates and undermined freedom.

The voice of the elevator called out "Candace Ross to see you Mr Stark", piping into his lab. He looked up and took off his safety goggles.

FRIDAY invited Candace to sit. She sat and waited for Mr. Stark in the lounge pulling a book from her bag to peruse.

"Hello there" Tony said coming into the room dressed casual professional.

"Candace Ross" she said standing to her feet and shaking his hand.

He grinned "Nice to meet you Candy" he said cockily.

"Only one person gets to call me that, it's Candace or Miss Ross thank you please" she said firmly.

"So whose that lucky guy?" he said trying to smooth over her ruffled feathers "and why has he left you a Miss?" he grinned in a friendly way.

"His name is James Buchanan Barnes and he saved my life, nothing more, so he's not obliged to change my last name" she said and Tony whirled, looking back at her like she had hit him with a rock.

"He saved your life" he said sitting down and gesturing for her to do the same. He closed the door to his office.

"Yes, in Bucharest, only a few weeks before he was framed for Vienna."

"How do you know that?"

"Logic and digging deep in the internet. Not all those conspiracy theories are theories, and if Bucky was himself, like he was the night I met him, there's no way he could have done that. He's a hurting man not a villain. He needs help not to be hunted all over the world" she said glaring a little pointedly at Tony.

"I take it helping the impoverished get an education" he said looking at a paper on his desk "is not what you're here for Candace?"

"No, but it was a way to get in. My father is a leading therapist, and so he knew yours and I used those and any other connections I could to get an interview, just so I could tell you. If you ever hear from Captain Rogers, or anyone else who knows Bucky, my father would be willing to help him. He specializes in PTSD and he'd do it free of charge. His way of paying back Bucky for saving my life" she said "or at least my reputation and freedom, which is more important than my life to me."

"What makes you think I know where Captain America or the Winter Soldier are?"

"His name is Bucky, and I don't know that you do, but you were my best hope. Please, Mr. Stark, he's a hurting man, not a criminal. The things he's done, they weren't his doing. I didn't know who he was when he saved me, but to me he is the man who saved me. That's who he is now, not the KGB special weapon, not the 1940's best friend of Steve Rogers. The hunted and haunted man who can't sleep at night who saw a girl about to be abducted or worse and came in and did the right thing. That's who he is now."

Tony was silent. He was still hurting because Bucky had been the one to kill his parents. But the haunted man who couldn't sleep at night could have just as easily been describing him as the Winter Soldier. And in fact, her words forced him to realize, that Bucky had it far worse than he ever had. He lived with the guilt of not being on good terms with his father, Bucky lived with blood on his hands, blood put there by others. It dwarfed the hell out of his own head issues and he knew it.

"Very well, but I don't know where they are, and getting ahold of them is impossible" he said with a wink letting her know the last part was false. He looked around. He felt that his office might not be safe, the aftermath of the Accords had him paranoid "I'll let you know where you can find the funding for your project" he said smiling with another wink. She stood up, the childish part of her wanted to hug Tony for being so generous to a stranger, the other part of her reminded her that this man was responsible for the schism in the Avengers and Bucky being even more hunted than ever.

"Great meeting you" he said, acting like hadn't just committed treason against the Accords. He shook her hand.

"You as well."

"Have a safe flight" he commended as she opened the door "and thank you" he said.

She turned and looked at him curiously.

He shook his head, not wanting to admit that he was wrong and that she was right. And that he had been wrong since the moment he had put the Accords forward. She flew back to Dallas and told her dad what she had accomplished as she spent Christmas with her family rather than down in San Antonio by herself. The festive season hit full swing. And despite her enjoyment of the festivities, she still awaited that phone call from Tony Stark. New Years Eve came. She felt certain no call would come then, Tony would be partying it up so much that he wouldn't be sober enough to think straight, much less dial a phone.

But nonetheless, an hour before midnight on the west coast, her phone rang.

"Hello" she said, not recognizing the number, and moving outside of the living room to take the call.

"Yeah, Candy" he said, knowing in part it would annoy her, and also knowing that it would serve as a passcode.

"Tony" she said, not wanting to say Mr Stark in a crowded house.

"Yeah, I think Wakanda would be a great place to start your school for the impoverished. You should go speak English there" he said faking a drunk slur in his speech.

"Thank you sir, I'll definitely visit. Anyone I should speak to in particular?" she asked.

"Tee Cheeto, the king" he said laughing. "Happy New Year and a late Merry Christmas dear" he said and then the line went dead with a beep.

Candace grinned widely, and many asked why she was smiling even wider than usual.

"I just got some good news is all" she said smiling. A few hours into the 1st when she got ready for bed she made sure to include Tony Stark in her night prayers. She realized she had been unfeeling. If the tabloids were right he and Pepper were no longer together, and she felt being alone on New Years must surely be difficult. As for she she had had a great night with good friends and family and some first rate alcohol to boot! She decided she might let the school know she was taking some time, possibly the next semester off, due to an illness in a loved one or some such excuse, or maybe to travel abroad. She'd think of something when her head was clearer. And just to help throw suspicion off she'd fly into Egypt, and then find her way by car or boat to Wakanda.


	3. Send for Me

By February she had her plane ticket, arrangements with her father and the school was sad to see their teacher leave but they didn't ask too much. She was a creature of whimsy and impulse and the idea of her getting up and going off to travel the world wasn't too unexpected, it's not like with her rich dad she lacked the funds.

She landed in Cairo and got her bags. She would have loved to explore, but she just went straight to the car rental and got a modest car to drive to Wakanda in. She did indulge herself with a stop by the Valley of Kings, because one does not simply go to Egypt and not visit the pyramids.

She drove through several countries, nearly missing Wakanda, it was so small and obscure on the map that she felt it needed 'Entering Wakanda' signs on the highway. She went to the embassy there. She needed to figure out how to get in contact with the King T'Challa, she giggled thinking of what Tony had called him on that drunk phone call.

She grabbed her purse and went into the embassy building, she hoped at least they could tell her of a good hotel to stay at. She came in and sat down, not wanting to disturb the receptionist just yet until she got her cover story straight first.

"Miss Ross" came a calm soft voice from above her.

She looked up, her eyes going a little wide at the width of the chest on whoever was addressing her, her eyes found the face of America itself. She seriously believed Steve Rogers' jaw was made out of justice.

"Captain Ameri- Rogers" she said, she felt sure he'd rather be called by his actual name not the title he had been given. She got to her feet and took his hand.

"A friend said you might be coming, I thought I'd meet you here" he said smiling. He walked her outside.

"Thank you" she said. "And I know you probably get this a lot, but I do want to say how much of an honour it is to meet you."

He smiled, "well I don't hear that quite as much as I once did" he said as he opened the driver's door for her.

"Can I ask you a favor?" she said.

"Would you drive? I'm beat and I don't exactly know where I'm going anyways" she said holding the car keys out to him.

"Sure thing" he said and went and got the passenger door for her.

"Are you sure you aren't made of chivalry?" she teased appreciatively. "You're maybe the third guy I've met who still opens car doors. It's pretty great" she said smiling as she fastened herself in with the seat belt.

Steve chuckled as he shut her door for her and then got in on the driver's side.

"I thought you'd think it was corny or old fashioned, most people do" he said "But it still feels like the right thing to do."

"There's nothing corny about being old fashioned, the world could do with a few more guys like you." She said cheerily.

"Thanks" he said with a chuckle. He started the car "so Tony mentioned you could get help for Bucky" he said.

"Yes, my father is a leading psychologist, he specializes in Post Traumatic Stress, and from what I've learned about Bucky, since he saved my life and he came into the news after Vienna, he has some pretty serious PTSD in addition to some other issues. I only pray that dad can help him. He was so hurt and haunted when I met him, and that was before I had any idea why" she shuddered, looking thoughtful.

"So when did this happen?" Steve asked pulling out on the highway.

"A little less than a month before Vienna and the Accords. I was walking back to my hotel from visiting my friend at Saint Catherine's and I guess I got lost, I don't quite remember how I ended up in that sketchy alley, but I did, cornered by some ruffians who meant to abduct me for ransom or worse. Then there he was, kicking their butts and taking me to safety. He let me stay at his place for the night, and gave me the bed, content to sit in the chair and not sleep, almost like he was watching over me, like some guardian force" she said reflectively.

Steve smiled "I'm glad to hear it, I'd hate for anything bad to happen to anyone, and the fact Bucky was the one to save you" he paused "it gives me some hope, it means he was trying to do the right thing even without me being around to keep an eye on him. I know he'll recover, and not relapse, but I don't know what it's going to take to get him to believe that."

She looked over at the jawline of justice and the keen blue eyes and smiled. She could tell he cared deeply about Bucky's well-being. She let her exhaustion wash over her and crashed in the passenger's seat as he drove on.

When they reached the hospital where Bucky was still in kryo Steve, not wanting to wake her, just carried her straight in and set her down on the couch in one of the waiting rooms, like a little child who had crashed in the back seat after a long trip to the park. He smiled and closed the door to the little room. Letting her rest as he talked with some of the medics and found T'Challa. He apprised him of who Candace was and why she was there. He agreed and they got the staff needed to thaw Bucky out.

Candace got up and walked out of the room looking around. She saw Steve pass, carrying all four of her suitcases with ease. She shook her head "show off" she said walking in step alongside him.

He looked down at all the bags he was carrying and smiling. "Not intentionally" he qualified. "This is the room T'Challa had set aside for you, there's one next to it for whenever your father comes" he told her.

"Where is the king? do I get to meet him?" she asked curiously, she'd never met actual royalty before.

"Captain Rogers" came a sophisticated voice with an exotic intonation to it. "They will be taking him out of kryo soon" he said. Candace looked into the man's eyes and knew this was T'Challa, not knowing what else to do she dipped into a curtsy, blushing to her toes. She should have studied how to properly greet Wakandan royalty. "Miss Ross" he said smiling and nodding to her before stretching out his hand "a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise" she managed to say "your highness" she added just to be safe.

T'Challa nodded and then left them.

Candace turned to Steve and then jumped and down a little "I don't think I can quite calm down, I just met Captain America and actual royalty in the same day" she squeaked before laughing at herself and Steve joining in.

Joyful was the first word Steve would choose to describe Candace, he thought as they walked to where Bucky was being held in kryo, the second being compassionate.

She looked confused, she had an idea what kryo was but she wasn't for sure. She turned her confused eyes on Steve, hoping he'd explain.

"He asked to be put under until we could find someone who would be able to help him. He felt it'd be safer for everyone" Steve said sadly "there's a lot of stuff in his head, not just the bad memories, but the conditioning they put him through."

She nodded, turning as they kryo machine wound up for the thawing. She watched in shock and wonder as the face behind the glass became clearer. It was Bucky. She stepped back a little, not wanting to interfere. Who was she after all? just some concerned party, she was standing beside freedom incarnate and a king. The machine whined to a halt and the suction released on the door. Bucky's eyes opened and he looked around, opening the door.

He looked at T'Challa and nodded and then at Steve and managed a small smile, then he saw her, peaking from behind Steve's shoulder almost. Not out of fear, but out of politeness. "Candy?" he said in surprise. Steve stepped aside and she walked forward a couple of steps.

"Yeah" she said "it's me."

He smiled, actually smiled, not wide as he would have done in younger days, but he did smile. "I'm not sure why you're here, but I'm glad you are." He said, he wanted to take her hand or something but he still feared himself and didn't want to frighten her.

"It took me long enough to find you to return this" she teased, pulling his little Captain America shield pin out of her back pocket and handing it to him. Steve could have hugged them both. Her for showing him that Bucky had been thinking of him even before he had found him, and him for not being the hardened man he had tried to make himself out to be when he had found him in Bucharest.

"You guys took me out from being under just so I could get a pin back?" he asked looking at them a little hazily as the effects from being frozen slowly wore off. He lost his footing a little as he took a step, and Candace threw herself under his shoulder to help him regain his balance.

"What happened to his other arm?" she asked before she could help herself. She was mannered, but sometimes slightly rude questions just spilled out. "Oops" she said almost silently, but Bucky heard and almost smiled.

"Too much power" he said sadly "I'm better with just one until they can find someone who can fix what happened to my head."

"Which is the real reason I'm here" she said, still under his good arm despite the fact that his strength had returned. He dared not say it, but after spending seventy years between frozen and committing brutal killings, he hadn't been given the kind touch of another human very much, and he very dearly cherished even a pat on the shoulder. "What do you mean?" he asked looking down at her.

"Well, you see, my father is one of the leading psychiatrists in the field of Post Traumatic Stress, he's helped veterans of Vietnam and other brutal conflicts recover, and I thought" she blushed now, she felt like she was imposing into his business. "I thought he could help you." She hated making him sound like he needed help, they both knew he did, but she also knew guys hated admitting needing help. She wished she had thought of a better way to say it.

"Anything changed?" he asked Steve, knowing how much the schism in the Avengers has affected him.

"No" Steve said shaking his head "other than we got the others out of the cages and they're all still free."

"Good" he said. He looked around "could I get a cheeseburger?" he said with a sudden craving for food, and that food in specific.

T'Challa turned to a member of staff and relayed the request.

He and Candace separated as they sat down.

"I'll call my dad tonight, he should be able to find a way out here in a week or two at most. He promised his help the day that I woke up in your empty apartment, and he's not changed his mind" she said proudly.

Bucky looked at her sitting in the chair down from his and smiled one of his almost smiles, his eyes still filled with ghosts. He remembered that night. He felt real good about having went against his training and better judgement and doing the right thing. She wouldn't be here now if he hadn't.

One of the staff came in with two plates with Hamburgers and fries for both Bucky and Candace. T'Challa had figured on his guest being hungry after her travels.

She thanked him as she ate her fries. She turned to look at Bucky as she finished her fries and prepared to start on her burger. He had cleared his plate and she felt that his eyes were on her burger.

"Here you go, you need it more than me" she joked as she slid the burger from her plate to his with a chuckle.

He looked at her through the messy tendrils that always seemed to find their way into his eyes. He was still unused to kindness. "Thank you" he said softly but he pushed it back onto her plate, despite wanting to tear into it so bad he could almost cry, he was so hungry and they burger he had just finished had been delicious. "But I couldn't" he said gently. Steve watched, and saw in that action the old courtly Bucky peeping through the pain of the Bucky of the 21st century.

T'Challa smiled and by the time Candace had finished her burger a large platter with burgers enough for them all came into the room. Bucky looked like Christmas had come early. Steve chuckled and the three American born people at the table fell to with relish while T'Challa had a meal more suited to his tastes, but he did have some fries.

"Better?" Candace teased as he finished off his twelfth burger. Steve wasn't far behind. He nodded. "How did the army not go broke feeding you Captain Rogers?" she asked sassily.

He chuckled and grinned, reaching for the last burger while Bucky did the same. Candace reached in and snagged it though, grinning ear ot ear. They all four of them chuckled. After all she had only had two, and watching the others eat had kind of made her want another one. They were excellent. She finished it, contentedly stuffed.

"Those are some amazing burgers by the way your highness" she said in admiration.

"Thank you" he said politely and then excused himself. The three of them walked down the hall to their rooms. Candace found that Steve's room was on the opposite side of the hall from her father's and Bucky's right beside it and across from hers.

"I don't feel much like sleeping" Bucky said "I've been doing it for about half a year" he said leaning against the wall.

"And I've got jet lag" Candace lied. She did, but she was tired. "You don't suppose they would have chess or scrabble or something around here do you?" she asked Steve.

He chuckled. "I have a deck of playing cards if you two night owls want to have a go at some poker or something" he said turning on the light in his room, Candace followed him in and Steve said in a low voice to her. "If anything goes wrong, come get me" he said intensely and she nodded.

Bucky kind of knew what they were talking about without having to hear the words. He sighed, even his best friend didn't trust him to be stable, hell, he didn't trust himself either. Candy didn't seem to doubt him too much, he hoped with all his heart that he wouldn't hurt her. Just to have one person in his life who he hadn't lost it around, tried to murder, or betrayed in some way.

She came out with a deck of cards and they went to the entertainment room down the hall where a TV was tuned to ABC. She realized it was a Sunday night and so time for Disney cartoons were on. Snow White had recently begun.

"Hey, weren't you alive when this came out?" she asked him, looking at him through some fluffs of her curly hair that had dipped into her eyes. She brushed it behind her ear.

"Yeah, I think me and Steve went to go see this as kids, his mom gave us some money. She would work hard, trying to raise him on her own, but she always found a way to hold back some spending money for Steve" he said. His memories were like shafts of light falling through chinks in a broken roof. They weren't consistent but when he had them they were extremely vivid.

They watched the movie together, Candace crashing half way through. The jet lag of flying over that many time zones was really messing with her internal clock. Bucky remembered her falling asleep the first time they had met. He wondered how, even knowing who he was and how dangerous he could be, that she still slept just as peacefully as before, her neck moved in her sleep as she tried to be comfortable, her head sliding down the back of the couch and coming to rest against his shoulder. Her mouth slightly open and a little saliva at the side of her mouth. He rolled his eyes but potential for drool or not, he wasn't moving his arm anywhere. He craved contact of others just as he needed their trust, even if he in no way deserved it. He was a walking grenade with a pulled pin and he knew it. But he hoped he could be whole, to confirm the faith his friends had in him if for no other reason. He smiled, he considered Candace a friend and he hardly knew her.

He eventually got up, as she kept wriggling in her sleep. He couldn't carry her this time, he still lacked one arm, but he did move her legs up on the couch and position her head against the fluffy arm of the couch. "Sleep well Candy" he said as he clicked the tv off and sat down on the floor with the playing cards, emptying the box and shuffling them on a pile in the middle of the floor like a child, unable to shuffle like an adult without two hands, and he proceeded to play Solitaire through the whole night.


	4. Mona Lisa

The next day Candace got up from the couch, Bucky was there, playing solitaire still.

"Good morning" she said cheerily as she sat up.

"Good morning Candy" he said smiling.

"You know Stark tried to call me Candy when I went to talk to him about getting news to Steve about how my dad would be willing to help you. I told him only you get to call that" she chuckled.

"Well I'll consider it a priviledge that money can't buy then" he joked blankly. He was still upset with Tony for splitting up the Avengers and upsetting Steve. Yet another thing that he had had a hand in. His bloody hand had smeared so much in history. Stark's family had been one of many wiped out of life by the metal arm of the Winter Soldier.

She chuckled at his comment. "Well I'm going to clean up, I still feel grungy from the drive and the plane ride. You gonna be alright?" she asked. She didn't know what might trigger him so she wanted to make sure his being alone wouldn't leave him susceptible.

"I've only got one arm, how much damage could I do" he said wryly. "But no, I should be fine, but thanks for asking." he said, watching her as she walked down the hall to her room.

She hadn't been gone long when Steve came out, fresh and clean and ready to take on the world, as usual. Bucky snorted to himself. He was fairly sure Steve was one of those Disney princesses, just a guy, and bigger, like Cinderella or something. Except he couldn't sing worth a shit. He cracked a grin thinking of standing next to Steve in church and hearing his wheezy little voice quake out the hymns. He had tried to cover for him by singing over his poor voice with his strong resonant one and then trying to tell everyone that had been Steve singing.

Steve came down the hall and saw Bucky on the floor, playing probably his 400th round of Solitaire. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Candy just left to go shower. I think she was more tired than she was letting on last night" he said with another of his small almost smiles.

"I'll make us pancakes, there's a little kitchenette down this way" he said pointing down past the entertainment room to a door at the end of a corridor.

"Hey Steve" he said blandly.

"Yeah?" Captain Rogers asked in concern.

"You'll make someone a wonderful wife some day" he teased, a smile bending his lips and even going so far as to crinkle around his eyes.

"Stuff it" he said, but his own grin was enormous. That had been a bit of Bucky from back in the day, and that gave him hope. He got up off the floor and they both went to the kitchen, Bucky feeling slightly useless with only one hand.

A few minutes later Candy sailed in, her hair pulled up in a towel on her head making Bucky snort just a little at the comical conical climax of towel atop her head.

"Hey" she said noticing it "if I don't do this it won't curl right" she protested.

"You look like some gypsy fortune-teller" then he thought of they fortune teller woman who he had likely killed pushing out of the way to get to a target once and his face went back into it's dark blank expression of pain.

"Bucky" Steve said going over to his friend. Candace took over the cooking of pancakes while Cap tried to buck Bucky's spirits back up. He was wracked by so much guilt.

She set three plates on the table along with silverware and a bottle of syrup. The two men took seats while she came over with pancakes and served them up to them.

"Thank God I'm right handed" he said picking up the fork. It would be awful had he lost his dominant hand, trying to struggle with forks and other things with the weaker hand. Though he somehow felt that they would have found a way to compensate when they conditioned him to become the Winter Soldier. "These pancakes are delicious" he said through a mouthful of syrup covered pancake. He chewed and swallowed "I think someone just beat you at the best housewife around Steve" he said grinning at his friend. Steve rolled his eyes but grinned to hear his friend cracking jokes again.

"I'll take that as some praise, I may not be able to lift buildings like Mr Biceps over there" she said nodding towards Steve "but at least I make better pancakes. It's the truly important things that matter" she said with mock conceit before breaking out into giggles.

"Saving the world is only second best to making some great pancakes pal" Bucky teased. The three ate breakfast and before they could ask or get it themselves Candace has poured three glasses of milk.

The two boys born before the 1920's looked on appreciatively, knowing that a joy in householding skills was a dying art in girls of the 21st century. They thanked her, Bucky turning his pain-filled blue eyes up to that radiant joyful face that was open and full of trust and life.

"Do either of you know what time it would be in Dallas right now, I'd rather not wake dad up, he can be a real bear" she said.

"It's one in the morning. So probably not the best time depending on your father's sleeping habits" Bucky stated, giving her the facts like he had memorised the time zone differential.

Her and Steve looked at him a little strangely but moved on.

"They made me know what time it was everywhere" he said wearily, "they trained jet lag out of us so we'd always be read for our missions. But we still had to know what time it was for missions."

Candace reached out and put her hand comfortingly on his. It was weird, she wasn't a particularly physical person, but she somehow knew that Bucky needed to be touched, to be reassured in a tangible way that he wasn't alone. He brushed her fingers with his and then stood up, picking up his plate and silverware and carrying them to the sink.

"If you wash I'll put them away" he turned "Steve, you're drying" he called out to his friend who was trying to leave without assisting. The three of them teamed up and had the dishes washed, dried, and put away in no time.

T'Challa came in just as they were finishing up, cutting up at a joke Candace had just said. "Mr Barnes, I have something to show you" he said and then added, seeing the questioning faces of the others "both of you are welcome to come along."

Bucky walked a little behind the king of Wakanda, and Steve and Candace flanked him on each side. He felt he had the best set of body guards a guy who deserved death could possibly ask for, seeing as both seemed willing to do anything for him. He didn't merit any such companions. Steve and Candace were about two of the most pure people you could hope to meet, and somehow they both had adopted his lost cause as their own.

The king of Wakanda lead them to the portion of the hospital devoted to surgery the like.

"While you were under we had this made for you" he said gesturing to two nurses holding a custom made prosthetic arm. "It may not be quite right, but we can have it adjusted if it's uncomfortable. We based the strength levels off of Captain Rogers' left side, but decreased them a little" he said looking at the man he had nearly killed in mistaking.

Bucky's blue eyes turned to T'Challa in gratitude "thank you, your highness" he said. The two nurses moved to attach the arm to his shoulder. He had a flashback of the pretty nurses he had flirted his way through World War Two with. He came back to the current era and looked at the two of them. Nope, the urge to charm his way into their arms was not there. He looked over at Candace standing there. Deep down he wished he was worthy of a girl like that's love. He knew he was too scarred that to dare to attempt winning her would be a sin, she deserved someone whole and full of life. Maybe someone like Steve, well if Steve and Sharon weren't already together, if they still were. He smiled, recalling seeing his best pal finally get kissed. Someone better than him, that's all he knew when he thought about Candace. Of course he would tear the guy's arm off who hurt her, so there was that.

"How does it feel?" the nurse asked with her rich African accent.

He flicked his fingers and moved his arm like he was going to make a baseball pitch. "It's great" he said, and smiled. The material they had covered the prosthetic with felt surprisingly like skin, it was some smooth, flexible synthetic, he stroked his stubble with it, the touch registering with his brain. There was some serious tech behind this arm. Also, he needed to shave. And showering felt like a good idea too. "I can shower with this thing on right?" he asked.

"It withstands water and up to four hundred pounds of pressure so you can shower with it, sit on it, or do almost anything without damaging it. Watch out for EMP's though, they're the only real risk."

"So you must weigh four hundred pounds now Bucky, better ease up on the pancakes" Steve joked.

Bucky rolled his eyes but smiled. They were coming easier now. It didn't feel so out of character. He remembered watching the footage of him and Steve, he had always worn a smile back in those days.

After thanking the staff and T'Challa he went back to his room, he hadn't been in it since before going under. There wasn't much in it. He showered up and put on a dark blue shirt and some jeans.

Striding out he found that for some reason Hawkeye was sitting on the couch with Steve and Candace, while T'Challa stood by. Seriously, does the guy ever sit? Bucky wondered.

Clint looked up at the relatively normal looking Bucky. He immediately noticed the lack of metal arm. Bucky walked straight up to him.

"I'm sorry" he said.

"What do you mean?"

"You had a family, Steve told me, your involvement with us has surely made it where seeing them is much harder, and I'm sorry."

Clint shook his head "actually, I found a way, with a little help" he said looking at Cap "to get them back, and now it's my turn to do him a favor, considering as he's busted me out of jail and got me my family back."

"And what's that favor?" Bucky asked.

"Making sure Dr. Ross gets here without the government knowing that he's going or where he's headed. He can't just book a flight when the other Ross, the one with the big ugly mustache who hates freedom, has his eye on him from what we've heard. Tony's office was likely bugged. Which is surprising, you'd think genius, playboy, traitor would be a little better at anti-virus, maybe he needs to get Avast downloaded at the compound" he said, Candace laughed and T'Challa smiled. Steve and Bucky just looked a little lost.

"It's an antivirus software you can download for free" Candace explained. "I have it on my laptop. It's not great, but it's free." She turned to Hawkey "so you'll be my dad's escort is what you're saying?"

"If you mean bodyguard then yes, not the other kind of escort" he said. It was T'Challa's turn to be confused, meanwhile Bucky cracked a smile and Steve looked puzzled for a moment and then blushed deeply.

"When you talk to your dad, tell him you found a patient that has bad ptsd, which isn't false, try having a power hungry demi-god running around in your head for a while. Give him the name Charlie Barn" he told her.

"That is the most redneck sounding name I've heard since Cletus Range asked me to prom" she said giggling.

"Well no one will suspect me that way then."

"Really? you live on a farm Clint, that's a little redneck, you've got to admit it" Steve teased.

"Lived, I now live in a little obscure apartment complex in Rio de Janeiro." he quipped.

As soon as afternoon came Candace called her dad and made arrangements.

"What'd he say?" Steve asked as she came out of her room.

"Yes, he'll be out here next week, Thursday to be exact" she said.

Steve thanked her and then went to tell T'Challa. Hawkeye left to pack up and head to Texas, leaving her alone in the living room with Bucky.

"Why are you doing this Candy?" he asked.

She paused "doing what?" she said curiously, sitting down on the couch with him.

"Getting your dad, risking him and yourself for a wanted man who deserves death and prion."

"Don't you say that" she said, and he looked away, the pain and ghosts filling his blue eyes. She reached out and pulled his face back to face hers. "I'm doing this because you're a fellow human being, one whose been through hell, and you touched my life, I became aware you existed the night you saved me, after Vienna I found out who you were, and my heart bled for you even more. So much pain and guilt for things you had no control over. How could I do anything else but want to help you?" she asked.

He looked at her, her words touching his broken soul. Hesitantly, moving ever so slowly, he reached out and touched her hand, showing his gratitude. "Thank you" he said. "I don't deserve this, but I appreciate it. You and Steve have more belief in me than I feel I can live up to sometimes" he said retaking his hand.

"We just want you well and able to live a life not being afraid of your own shadow."

"That's a good way of putting it" he said with a wry smile.

"I meant it that way" she replied "I know you've no need of being frightened of others, you're pretty intimidating in a fight. The way you took out those guys who were trying to abduct me that night in Bucharest was impressive."

"Really?" he said giving a small smile. He looked down at her, she had this beautiful soul that he could see in her even with his eyes closed. They exchanged a smile.

"So, what about that poker we never got to last night?" she suggested and the two parked themselves on the floor like kids. They played card game after card game, Steve joined them for a bit, just watching. He left around ten o'clock. He looked back over his shoulder from down the hall, seeing Candace's blonde curls shaking as she rocked back in forth in mirthy laughter and Bucky wearing that Mona Lisa smile that was the best he could muster most of the time. But at least he was smiling. Steve knew that despite their friendship, Bucky felt guilty for not being the Bucky Steve had ground up with, that he couldn't be that Bucky again. With Candace there was no such expectation, besides, though nothing was there now, something might come of them, and while Bucky's mind still needed a lot of help to work out the conditioning, love had been known to do wonders to a person. He smiled to himself as he went in his room and shut the door. Candace still laughing at Bucky poking fun at Steve for going to bed so early like a grandpa.

"To be fair, he is old enough to be one" she joked.

"And I'm older than him, so where does that leave me?"

"Not a grandpa, because you don't insist on going to bed early like him" she replied.

He smiled that little smile again and shuffled and dealt another round. He liked having her around, he didn't feel as angry or sad when she was there. She laughed too much for him to feel too down. No one could dwell on horrors while they heard such sweet, dorky, awkward, beautiful laughter. It was sunshine to his frostbit soul. He didn't feel quite so cold or lonely with her there. She was like a less serious Steve, but a girl, and a very pretty one at that.


	5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore

The next day dawned a little chilly, which surprised everyone. Candace came out, trying to beat Steve to making breakfast, in long pj pants, she blushed to see they were her Captain America ones, she pulled the sweater down further covering most of the logo on the leg and went into the kitchen. Steve was already there.

"I guess the whole, early to bed, early to rise thing is true" she said sleepily as she looked around Steve's massive bicep trying to see what was in the skillet.

"Scrambled eggs" she said looking at him.

"It's Bucky's favourite" he said with a soft smile "or it used to be at least."

"He's right you know" she said seriously.

Steve looked at her curiousity in his blue eyes.

"Someday you'll make someone a great wife" she teased her face busting out into a grin.

He rolled his eyes "I see I'm going to have to put up with two of you now" he said chuckling as he turned back to the skillet.

Just then Bucky ambled, still half asleep, without a shirt, into the kitchen.

"Eggs, I smell eggs" his drowsy eyes opened a little further.

"He's making scrambled eggs" Candace said, before acting very preoccupied by the ingredients on the package of bacon on the counter while a blush crept right up to her ears.

Bucky was confused for a solid minute before looking down, realizing he'd come in without a shirt and turning to go back and get one so Candace would actually trust herself to look at him. "Hey Candy" he said as he left. She looked up despite her better judgement "nice pjs" he joked and then sauntered out of the room. Wearing the tiniest little smirk. He hadn't meant to make her blush, he hadn't even thought about the fact that he was a muscled male with the looks of his twenties still, that he could attract the attention of girls. Though the fact it had been her is what made that tiny grin crease his face as he put a shirt on.

He looked in the mirror, he looked surprisingly normal with his prosthetic arm. He only wished he felt normal to go with it. He walked back out to the kitchen, where Candace was still explaining that most of her pjs, were in fact Captain America pj, because hey they were comfortable, and wearing Iron Man pajama pants just seemed a little dirty. Steve and hers cheeks were both coloured with embarrassment when Bucky sailed back in the kitchen. He looked at her explaining herself to Steve and chuckled.

"Calm down Candy" he said moving her to the side "stop giving her a hard time Steve" he said, knowing that being sarcastic to a woman to any degree was probably against his DNA "pick on someone your own size" he teased and then offered to help set the table with Candace. Steve was still recovering from Bucky's accusations and trying to think of a clever response.

They ate breakfast and Candy peered over at the clock, her vision impaired by not having her glasses on. "What time is it?" she asked squinting at the microwave clock.

"8:20" Steve said.

"Well, hate to leave you two with clean up, but I gotta go get ready" she said, and without further explanation rushed out of the kitchen leaving Bucky seriously confused, and Steve with an idea of what she might be up to. His idea was confirmed when Candace came out of her room with a deep blue skirt and nice button down peachy pink coloured blouse, with her Bible under her arm. Bucky took another minute before it dawned on him that it was Sunday and she was going to church. Part of him wished he could come, but he knew until his head was on straight again he had no business going anywhere outside of the hospital.

"You look very nice" Steve said politely as he offered to walk her to her car.

"Thanks, but unless you'd like to come along that'd be a waste of your footsteps Cap" she said politely.

"I actually" he began but then he thought of Bucky and he didn't want to leave his friend alone.

"Go on" Bucky said "I'll be fine. You two pray for me or something" he said, not in a sacreligious way, as much as just to have something to say.

"I do" Candace said sincerely before Steve disappeared to get a more suitable shirt on.

"You do?" Bucky asked.

"Ever since we met in Bucharest" she said softly.

He felt overwhelmed. She had thought of him in her prayers ever since they had met over six months ago now. He fixed his piercing blue eyes on her, trying to figure out what she was made of. If Steve was woven out of freedom and loyalty and justice, then what was Candace? Compassion, kindness and dash of the goofy. He looked at her through his bangs and then said "Steve was right" it was her turn to look curiously. "You look great" he said with a smile.

"Thanks" she said with a warm smile and because her heels made it possible she gave him a swift, chaste, kiss to the cheek just before Steve came out of his room, ready to go to church, his own, battered Bible under arm. Steve saw Bucky turn his head so the side Candy had just gave him a kiss on didn't show, he could still feel her lipstick that had remained there. The two of them left, waving goodbye to Bucky promising it'd just be a few hours. Bucky went back to his room. Sure enough, there was a medium pink imprint left on his right cheek. He smiled, just looking at it in the mirror for a few minutes before finally wiping it away, but every time he thought of it the smile came back. He'd been kissed. Even if it had just been on the cheek, and just in a friendly way, she had kissed him. That strange unearthly radiant creature had kissed him, the man with bloody hands. It took until just before lunch time when they were due to return for him to wipe that dopey little half smile of wonderment off of his face. He hadn't been kissed since the 1940's and well her being comfortable enough to do it kind of made his week at least.

The two came back in, Candace was silent and had a thoughtful look in her soft grey eyes. She went to the kitchen to start cooking and found that there was already food cooking on the stove. She shrugged and went to her room to change into more comfortable clothes. She was thinking deeply on something.

"Candy?" Bucky said as she walked right past him, so lost in thought she could have walked into a freight train.

"Oh, hey Bucky" she said smiling, though she still looked distracted.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, he could tell she was distracted, he hoped it wasn't a ploy to ignore him, though he didn't know what he might have done to offend her.

"Yeah" she said. "I'm having an idea, it's a pretty big one, but I think it's a good one" she smiled.

Bucky raised his eyebrow and interest shone in his usually dull broken looking blue eyes.

"I'll tell you about it later" she said "right now I want out of these shoes" she said putting her hand on his arm as she took off her shoes and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Better?" he asked.

"Better, and thanks for making dinner. Were Steve and I's wife skills making you feel the need to prove yourself" she teased.

He rolled his eyes "more like I was bored out of my mind without you two around. One can only play so much solitaire" he explained.

"I see" she said. "well thanks anyways." She smiled at him and then disappeared into her room, closing the door and changing into jeans and a sweatshirt, the chill still lingering from the morning and her warm Texas temperature expectations leaving her shivering.

She came in with her Texas Rangers sweatshirt on. The two guys just raised their eyebrows and shook their heads.

"Hey, my dad bought it for me, I don't even like baseball" she protested, only to see Steve's eyes go wide in horror and Bucky react similarly.

"I think you broke Steve" Bucky said recovering, as the Cap still sat there looking horrified.

"I grew up in Texas, baseball just fills the time before football season starts back up again. Did they have football in your time Cap?" she teased.

"Yes, they did" he said, he had remembered watching the high school squad prep and wishing he could play but being too tiny.

"I played" Bucky said "fun sport."

"What position did you play?" she asked setting down on the sofa with Bucky.

"Running back" he replied, getting a flash of running down the field and making a game winning run. That had been fun times. "Steve" he said turning to his friend "what was I like in school?" he asked.

Cap was quiet for a minute "you were always near the top of the class, did well in sports, the teachers liked you even though you'd do mischievous stuff like soap the fountain every other week. You tended to turn heads, I can't think of you walking down the halls without at least two or three girls around" he said smiling at the memories.

"Sounds pretty nice" Candace commented.

"What about you?" Bucky said turning to her. For having spent a fair amount of time around her the last few days, he knew surprisingly little about her other than she loved Elvis songs and liked to drown her pancakes in ungodly amounts of maple syrup and cook everything she could in butter.

"I was taught at home. My mom and dad are real smart people and we always had books around. I took two years at regular high school, I say regular, I mean private christian academy. I enjoyed it, but I learned way more at home so I opted to go back to that so I could go to college early" she explained.

Steve and Buck looked at her a little impressed.

"Looks like we found the brains of this group" Bucky said grinning. He had managed to simultaneously insult his best friend and compliment Candace and he felt quite accomplished for it.

"Nice one Buck" Steve said shaking his head. "Of course we all knew it wasn't going to be you" he added with a grin.

"Thought you just said I was top of the class" he retorted.

"Except in Science and Math where I was."

"Then we found the winner on that side, I'm awful at math" she said shaking her head.

"You teach right?" Steve said "what subject?"

"English Literature" she explained.

Steve's eyes met Bucky's, an inside joke from their early days resurfacing in both their minds. Buck looked away and Steve grinned.

"Bucky here has always found teaching a fascinating occupation, right Buck?" he teased.

"Don't make me get my metal arm back" he retorted, his face crimsoning in flustered frustration.

"What are you two on about?"

"You see Bucky he -"

"Steve, I'm warning you, cut it out" he said, though he still wore a faint smile.

"Fine, he just always thought teaching an attractive occupation" Cap said with a grin.

Candace was still a little confused but she took it at face value. "Really?" she asked looking at Bucky.

"Yeah" he agreed, leaning back on the couch.

"Well, what I was going to tell you about earlier, back when my shoes were squeezing my feet in half, is that I've had an idea. I could start a school here, or work at an existing one. I'd need to learn the native language or get an interpreter, but I think it'd be a worthwhile mission" she said, her eyes searching his face for his thoughts. She somehow wanted his input and approval, though she neither needed it nor knew why she desired it.

He looked up over his arm that was thrown on the back of the couch to her. Surprised to find her eagerly anticipating his response. The words came difficult, he knew he needed to say something, but he had lost a lot of his fluency at communication being a frozen assassin and a hunted man. "I think that's great. And a very considerate idea" he said "does that mean you'd be around here still?" he asked, voicing his real concern. He didn't want her to go, her and Steve helped him feel whole.

She looked at him from under her delicate blonde lashes "yeah" she said leaning back "I guess it does." She looked over at him "so you really think it's a good idea?"

"It seems like something good for you" he said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean" he said looking at her with his mournful blue eyes "it's something a good person would do, so I can see you doing it, and probably being very good at it" he put his head in his hand and shook it. "I don't think I can English anymore, I just used the same adjective like six times in a row" he said. She was an English major, surely that must have just driven her nuts.

"It's okay if you can't use words good" she said giggling at him.

He cracked a small grin and uncovered his face to see her laughing one. Steve had vanished somewhere during their conversation.

They found out where Steve had went when they decided to check on Bucky's cooking in the kitchen. Steve had finished for him.

"Stealing my show again Steve" he accused with a small grin "first you go get yourself souped up on super soldier stuff, and next you try to kick me out of the kitchen" he joked.

"Well considering you've been souped up too we're about even on that" he retorted with a grin and then served the food. Bucky's culinary variety was simple. He had made boiled potatoes, with chicken, and green beans. Simple but pretty delicious.

His face fell a little when Candace got up from the table and returned with a shaker of cayenne pepper. "Did I not season it right?" he asked.

"By Yankee standards I'm sure you did just fine" she said throwing shade the two boys' roots "but down South we like our food a little more spicy."

"And women a lot more sassy" Bucky said with a grin. He again felt that someone else had said those words, the same Bucky that called Candace Candy instead, the Bucky of 1940 who didn't have a care in the world.

Sunday dinnner passed pleasantly, Bucky only getting a few black moments where something triggered a bad memory.

Day slipped on and after a few card games Steve went to bed and after a few more, like ten at least, Candy went to bed too.


	6. Something Makes Me Want 2 Dance with You

Candace lay awake thinking of her idea of starting a school and how she would tell T'Challa. She didn't want to sound like a condescending westerner there to civilize his country, she just wanted to help out, not just linger around the hospital, and she felt she couldn't leave Bucky. Not yet, she seemed to be helping Steve to stabilize buck up the poor haunted soldier.

She heard the door knob click across the hall and got up, peering out to see Bucky wandering out of his room. She looked at the clock, it was three in the morning. She put a robe on over her pajamas and crept out of her room. He was standing by the window in the now dark living room, just staring out it.

"Couldn't sleep?" she said coming quietly up next to him.

He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't heard her. He stared at her as if he didn't know her for a moment. "Candy" he said almost questioning.

"Yeah" she said taking his arm in hers and giving him a warm smile.

"What has you up so late?" he asked.

"Thinking" she replied "what about you?"

"Trying not to" he said looking back out the window.

Candace tried to remember the way her dad talked to his patients, she felt Bucky needed someone to talk to, but not someone coming off as trying to help, just a friend, ready to listen.

"Do you think talking about it would help?" she asked after a long silence.

"I really don't think you want to hear about it" he said. How could joy itself want to hear of his dark hell.

"If it will help I'll listen to anything you feel you need to talk about" she said reassuringly tugging his arm while her voice stayed determined.

He shook his head "I can't" he said.

"That's alright too" she said "if you really feel you can't" she challenged him.

He looked down at her by his elbow. "It's not that I wouldn't like to heave this off my chest, it's just I don't know it'd help and I don't want to tell you about it."

Her face paled and she let go of his arm feeling hurt.

"It's not like that" he said panicking and grabbing her hand, terrified she'd leave him alone in the night with his ghosts. She looked at him, her grey eyes full of confusion and hurt in the pale moonlight from the window. "I just mean I don't want to tell you because" he paused, swallowing hard "I don't want to scare you."

She melted, she couldn't stay feeling hurt with someone whose silence was out of concern for her innocence. She smiled at him. "For your sake I think I can take anything you wish to tell me" she said firmly. He smiled, squeezing the hand he had impulsively grabbed.

He stood there silent. "I was thinking of the night I was thawed out to kill Stark's parents" he said in a bland tone with hints of agony. Candace's eyes went a little wide at this news, but she made sure that surprise was all Bucky saw she was feeling. She hated to think of him, a mindless machine, the hand of Hydra and not his own man. She comfortingly put her hand up on his shoulder. She rubbed it soothingly. "I've done so much" he said hurt in his voice "just the things I remember are awful enough, but what of the other, what about what I don't remember?" he said gripping her by both her shoulders and staring straight into her wide eyes as if he might find an answer there. He turned away, dropping his hands. He felt he had frightened her. "I'm sorry" he said "I told you this would scare you."

"I'm not scared Bucky" she said putting her hand back on his shoulder "not in the least, surprised a little maybe, but I don't scare that easy. You know that" she said referencing the time he had came and saved her.

He managed a less pained expression that had he been in a better frame of mind would have been a smile "yeah, you weren't taking anything off of those guys" he said.

"And then you came along and saved the day" she said taking his arm in hers and smiling up at him like a trusting child.

He shook his head "I hadn't meant to" he said "it was quite foolish given my situation at the time" he said and then looked down at her and managed a quiet sort of smile. "Not that I regret it in the least, you've become my best friend besides Steve" he said.

"I'm glad"

He was silent for a while, he rearranged his arm so that it hung over her shoulders as he looked out the window and she studied his face. He looked down at her, her face a peculiar shade in the ashy light of the moon, but not any less pretty than it was during daylight. "You see me for who I am and who I could be" he said at last. She looked at him curiously. "Steve sees me and sees two of me, the one now broken and scarred, and I feel bad that I can't be the other Bucky he sees, the one from back in the 40's. Around you there's one less expectation, I'm just the guy who saved you one night in Romania. I'm who I was after I got some of my head back from Hydra. You're the closest friend I have since I started to become myself again. Which I owe to Steve of course. But saving you that night showed me I could do the right thing of my own free will. Not because Steve expected it, not to rebel against my conditioning, just because there was this girl about to get into a bad situation and I could stop it from happening" he said.

Candace was quietly surprised by how much Bucky had just shared, considering how uncommunicative he was most of the time aside from clever one-liners and short responses to questions. She silently put her arms around him and hugged him. She didn't feel he needed any words from her, just her quiet acceptance of his words. He held her close, not even thinking of her as a good looking gal in that moment. Just then she was simply something warm and real and someone kind and caring who had accepted some of his brokeness without rejecting him. He just held her close to him, needing to be reassured he wasn't alone in the dark, as he had been so many other nights. He had someone to help keep the ghosts at bay for a while, someone who would listen. He let go after a while and helped her to seat on the couch and sat down beside her, spilling out story after story, good and bad, anything he could remember from either life, using her for a living journal to pour his thoughts into. Dawn was just an hour away when during a long silence he heard Candace drift off into soft snores. He smiled and picked her up, yawning himself, he felt like he could sleep for once. Setting her down in her bed he pulled the covers over her tenderly, smiling a small thoughtful smile. He moved to leave but moved by how much he felt in his heart, he leaned down and planted a simple kiss on her forehead. He was so grateful to her for all she had done for him that night. He went to his own room and flopped onto his bed in actual blissful exhaustion, he slept til noon, Candace only beating him out of bed by two hours.

When Steve asked, she blamed the jet lag, but he was suspicious the longer Bucky remained asleep.

Bucky came out drowsy, without a shirt again. Candace suddenly found the ceiling fan very interesting, though this time she stole a glance out of the side of her eyes. Bucky was in too much of a sleep hangover to notice this time, he did smile when he saw her, and his smile distracted her from the gun show he had going on. It was warmer than all his previous smiles. She knew from it that she had truly impacted him that night. She felt like there was no way she could or should go back to the States now. Not until her father had helped him get his head back on straight at least, and to be honest he felt more real than most people she knew, so she didn't want to leave him and Steve, her two new best friends.

"You want some lunch" Steve said sarcastically to his pal.

"Is it that late?" he said hazily, his eyes flicking back to Candace ever so often. Assuring himself she was still there and last night was real. He saw the dark circles under her eyes from loss of sleep and he knew it had all happened.

"There's leftover french toast" Candace offered.

"That sounds great" Bucky said, following her after she got up and went into the kitchen. Steve just watched, he knew something could happen there, and he didn't want to bust in on his bro's potential romance. Not that he felt they were actually aware of how well they complimented each other yet.

She fixed him the leftovers as he sat there trying to recover from sleeping. He hadn't slept for any longer than four hours for longer than he could remember. She set the plate down in front of him and then sat down beside him with her 3rd cup of coffee for the morning.

"Sometimes I don't understand you" he said with a soft smile.

"Perogatives of being a girl" she teased "but what specifically did I do to confuse your pretty head" she teased internally giggling at the mess his shaggy hair was in. He had some serious bedhead going on.

He managed a little grin and then replied "just you, you being kind and sweet to someone who deserves none of it" he said.

"What you deserve has nothing to do with it. I mean, how I believe, we all deserve the worst. The deaths you caused, without your own knowledge are no worse than the lies I've told and the other bad things I've done" she said. "Not to quote the Bible at you but 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' which means you, me, Star Spangled perfect jaw in the other room, every last one of us" she said.

"But that makes no sense" he objected, he vaguely remembered hearing about this back in his younger days in church with his family "I mean the worst thing you've probably done is steal a candy bar when you were five or something" he objected.

She giggled "I've actually never stolen anything" she said, Bucky throwing his hands up in vindication. "But I've coveted, I've lied and lusted, I've doubted God when I had no reason too, I've been bitter and held grudges. I've witheld forgiveness and I've let my priorities get out of whack and things become more importan than God in my life. So trust me, I'm not the perfect little radiant unicorn everyone likes to think of me as" she said with a small self-depracating smile.

"You're pretty radiant to me" he said, being unintentionally charming. She blushed and he turned his attention back to his french toast as he pondered her words. "You gonna talk to T'Challa 'bout teaching?" he asked as he stood up and put his plate in the sinkl.

"I think I'll pray and think about it a little more" she said standing up too, and moving to wash the dishes.

"No" he chastised gently "I'll get used to you spoiling me, let me do something for you" he said smiling at her.

"Alright" she said and after a bit she left him in the kitchen. She had done some poking around and found some fun games to play while she waited for her dad to arrive.

Bucky washed and dried and cleaned up the kitchen, feeling overwhelmed with a need to organize it. Steve came in and asked him what he was doing and then joined him, maybe it was therapeutic for him to clean the seal on the refrigerator and the back of the silverware drawer. The two of them came out, talking about the old days, they found Candace in the living room, playing a game Steve vaguely recognized as some dancing video game Tony liked to play drunk, Just Dance, he though it was called. Bucky watched with an amused grin as she followed the prompts on the screen, he was confused but he pieced it together quickly enough. She picked an old timey swing song to do, she felt it fit considering the era her two new best friends had grown up in. She started to do the prompts but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You're doing it wrong" Bucky said nodding to the screen "or they are at least" and falling into the muscle memory he had from dancing to that song every other weekend as he took her hand and lead her in the dance. Candace just focused on the dance and following his lead, looking up at his eyes to keep her eyes off his chest and abs, which were exposed and terribly distracting. She felt certain if she dared let her eyes rest on his torso too long she'd lose all sense of rhythm and just trip on her feet. She relaxed and he spun her out and back in, holding her by his side as she watched his feet move and followed his lead along with the flow of the music and what her own instincts directed her towards.

Steve leaned against the wall and watched his oldest and newest friend move in harmony. He saw it plain that these two would make a great pair. Their dancing synced up perfectly and in order to preserve the moment he quickly qued up a Glenn Miller track on the sound system, muting her dancing game as the song ended. Bucky looked over and gave his pal a curious but appreciative look, Steve just gave him a salute and then sat down on the couch with a magazine. He didn't want to seem like he was pushing them together, though he totally thought that wouldn't be a bad thing. The two danced to a couple more songs until Bucky excused himself to get a shirt.

"Come on Cap" Candace said "you've been far too peaceful over there with your magazine" she challenged holding her hand out, asking him for a dance.

"You sure?"

"Why not?" she quipped and he put on a nice medium tempo swing song and danced with her. Bucky came back in the room and watched his best friend dance with Candace, an approving smile on his face. If Steve and Sharon weren't together, then he felt he should totally go for Candace, he'd be one of the few people he could think of that might be worthy of a girl like her. "Bucky" she said seeing him as the song ended and going over to him, taking his hands and insisting on another dance. He felt a little like his old charming self from back in the 40's and willingly complied, dancing with her, feeling calmed by the familiar music. It carried him back in a way and he felt a little closer to who he had been before Hydra had hijacked his mind. The next song that came on was a little slower than the others and he wasn't sure if she was comfortable with that, he looked to pass her off to Steve, but Steve was nowhere to be found. Bucky was puzzled but went with it and he'd have been lying if he had said he was disappointed at Steve not being there. Candy felt nice in his arms. She was small compared to him, petite like a flower he thought, so girlish and soft. She was the most feminine thing he'd seen since back in his army days. He didn't think girls like her existed in the modern day, it was like she had come from the past like him and Steve. He smiled down at her as he lead her slowly through the dance. His blue eyes looking down through his messy hair. He held her a little closer, knowing the song was ending soon, but cherishing the feel of someone so warm and real so warm and near. He kissed the top of her head, her hair smelled really nice, he observed to himself internally.

"Thanks" he said after he lifted her from the dip at the end of the song.

"Thanks, finding a good dance partner is a hard thing" she said admiring of his skill.

"Well I'm here whenever you want" he said giving her a side hug and a small smile.

"I'll keep that in mind" she said and then looked around "where did Steve go?" she asked curiously.

Bucky shrugged and feeling drawn back to her he put another song on and danced with her again.

After dancing until their feet were sore, Candace pulled out a board for Monopoly and then dug up Steve and insisted he play. He was elminated from the game pretty quickly but Candace and Bucky were up til three talking and taking each other on over the acquisition of properties. Finally, after a risky business move involving hotels and being out strategized by the Winter Soldier, Candace went bankrupt.

"I win" he said with a grin as she handed over her Monopoly money.

"So you did, so you get to make breakfast right? that was the prize" she said sleepily.

He shook his head "it wasn't but I'll take it, you need some sleep" he said pulling her to her feet as she leaned drowsily against his side, dead on her feet from exhaustion.

"Goodnight Candy" he said leaving her at her bedroom door.

"G'night" she said and went to kiss his cheek, but ended up kissing his shoulder. "This is a little more difficult without heels on" she complained.

He bent down and let her press her lips to his cheek, returning the friendly gesture, though when he did he felt a longing stir in him. He, for the briefest moment was tempted to try and steal a kiss from those soft pink lips of hers. He turned away before he let a thought like that get hold of him. Candace was too tired to noticed. She collapsed onto her bed, still in her clothes and fell straight to sleep.


	7. Pretend

That night Bucky had the strangest dream. It was 1944 again and he was at a club, but Candy was there and they were dancing the night away. He and she danced til the club closed for the night and then he walked with her over bridges familiar to him, though not all from New York, some were in London, some in Bucharest, some in Moscow. They talked and he saw his old self clearly in this dream. The Bucky who had went sauntering off to war, fully intending to return and settle down and marry some sweet girl, probably a teacher or a nurse and have kids and a nice picket fence and the American dream. Part of him knew, even in his dream, how impossible all this was. But when the Bucky in army uniform with his hat worn jauntily and a confidence bordering on boisterous smugness stopped walking on a street in Brooklyn and looked down at the Candy beside him, he felt it wasn't impossible. He dreamt on, his old self seizing the romantic moment as warm rain fell on him and Candace to pull her in his arms and kiss her under the cozy light of a street lamp. He looked into her eyes and knew here was a woman he could be true to, even when off at war. Thunder rolled and the dream ended with them running in the rain.

Bucky woke up to a torrential rainstorm pouring down outside. That was the first time he had had a dream that wasn't full of terror and guilt. A pleasant dream, one with the old Bucky in it, not the broken man he was now.

He leaned back after flipping on the lamp on the nightstand, staring at the ceiling, a small smile on his lips as he thought about his dream. Bucky of 1944 might have been worthy of Candace Ross, he wasn't but who he had been would have been a good match for her possibly, he liked to think he would have had a chance as the man he had been before Hydra. He turned his face away from the light, how he hated what had happened to him, ruining him, making him fit for nothing but murder and retribution. Certainly not fit for love and a normal life with a wife and kids. He balled the sheets up in his hand, feeling rage feel his heart. He looked out the open curtain on the window and tried to calm himself, but the lightning only reflected his rage. He wouldn't lose control. He turned back around, looking at the light and thinking of Candace. He'd pretend that one day he'd be his old self again, just enough to not lose control and disappoint his friends. He thought of what life would be like, being a dad and having some cute kids with blonde curls like her and maybe his eyes, but full of life and joy, his eyes would be like that too. How could they not be, living such a perfect life with the perfect wife. Steve would live next door or just a town away maybe, with a family of his own hopefully. They'd do weekend picnics together or something. He imagined the life he had planned for himself after the war, only now the woman he'd spend his life with had a face and a personality and wasn't an unknown quantity. He drifted back into slumber, his mind at rest thinking of pleasant thoughts. The storm raged on outside but peace was restored to his mind and he dreamt of Sunday drives with Candace while Steve babysat his and Candy's kids. His dream unfolding like some old time black and white movie where things were impossibly upbeat and a little cheesy but still nice to imagine that times like that existed. He slept until morning came and then he got up and fulfilling his promise, started on breakfast, a bittersweet smile on his face. He knew he couldn't have the life he had dreamt about last night, except for in those dreams. But still, it was something nice to think on, and he had precious few things of a pleasant nature to dwell on in his tortured mind.


	8. You're Crying on My Shoulder

Time for Candace's father to arrive approached and they had heard precious little from Clint or her dad. It was Bucky's turn to be helpful, which he felt thankful for. He appreciated Candy but he hated how much she did for him and how little he was capable of doing in return. She couldn't focus on anything, Monopoly, cooking, her books. She was snappish even, but Steve and Bucky could clearly see why, because she usually snapped right after having asked and gotten no news of her dad.

Thursday night came and still her dad hadn't showed. She had pretended to to go to bed early, but Bucky had heard her door open. He sat up in his own bed, unsure if he should go to her or let her be. He put a shirt on and went out, seeing her sitting on the couch, her knees up under chin, and tears of concern streaking her face.

"Hey" he said sitting down beside her. She looked away, wiping her tears away quickly. "No, none of that, let someone do something for you, you stubborn lady" he said turning her face towards his and wiping the tears off with the sleeve of his shirt.

"I just hate people seeing me cry" she confessed, still hugging her knees.

He didn't know how to respond to that, hiding emotion was something he didn't expect from her. "Why?"

"Because no one should know I'm not happy all the time" she said looking at the coffee table with great focus.

"Well I'm glad I do" he said looking at her "you seem a little less of that perfect unicorn knowing that you can cry" he said half joking, half serious.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm worried" she said reluctantly "I shouldn't be, and I know that helping you is important, but what if something happened to my dad?" she said before bursting into sobs. She turned her face away but Bucky just pulled her towards him, letting her sob hot tears into his shirt. He just held her shoulders, he wasn't sure what to do. He felt her arms circle him and hug him. He couldn't believe it, at least in that moment, she needed him. He patted her shoulders, still uncertain, but holding her a little closer.

"I'm sure he'll be alright" he said as her sobs subsided "Clint is a master spy, I think he can get your dad here safely."

She sat up, moving to wipe her tears away. He held her hands and put them back in her lap and wiped her face.

"I'm sorry" she said.

"For what? being human, having emotions, loving your dad?" he said looking at her and shaking her head. "I'd love to have those problems. You've nothing to apologize for" he said, sincerity in his blue eyes.

She was silent for a moment "I do" she said and then cracked a grin "I kind of got your shirt all wet."

He shook his head and pulled her back to his side and kissed the top of her head. "It needed to be washed anyways" he joked in return. He held her, feeling she needed the reassurance she wasn't alone, just like she had done for him so many times. He was overwhelmed as he sat there holding her, he realized she was risking her dad, who she clearly loved deeply, for his sake. He struggled to comprehend that.

A light suddenly flickered on downstairs. Bucky's instincts of being hunted kicked in, he put Candy behind him and went forward, peering over the edge, he saw a man in casual business attire, his black slacks and button down shirt partly undone at the top. He had greying hair, then another man came into view and he sighed a sigh of relief, it was Clint. Candy looked around and then squealed, she ran to stairwell and slid down the bannister.

"Daddy" she said happily as he moved to catch her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey sweetheart" he said hugging her tight and giving her cheek a kiss.

"How was the flight?"

"The flight was great, this guys nonstop mouth was a little much at times" he said looking over at Clint, who just grinned proudly.

When the stepped foot on the stairs Candy looked up, and saw Bucky standing there looking down at them with the faintest sad smile on his face. He had forgotten quite what a functional family looked like. He had flashes of his family, his two beautiful sisters and his obnoxious baby brother. He was struck by a wave of feeling, he had been cheated out of growing old with them. He would have been angry but he knew Steve had been robbed the same way, all those they knew were gone.

Dr. Ross followed her gaze to the dark haunted man in a blue shirt that was damp for some reason. "Who is that?"

"Bucky" she replied instantly and then added "your patient" she said a little softer, hoping his advanced hearing wouldn't pick it up.

Her dad looked down at her and smiled "It's good to see you."

"You too dad, any news from home?"

"Mom is fine, so is your brother, he's enjoying college, maybe a little too much. And that teacher, Mr Thompson, the young one you taught with, he keeps popping up, trying to ask me for a way to get in touch with you" he said smiling archly.

"You didn't" she said in horror. Alex Thompson wasn't a bad guy, he was sweet in fact, and she had almost liked him when she first met him teaching at the academy. But she didn't want to even think about dating him now.

"No, I said I'd ask her what she thought when I talked to her, explaining I'm not one to give my daughter's number out to people without her consent" he said looking down at her at his side.

"Thanks daddy" she said, hugging him before they reached the top step. Bucky was trying to blend in with the wall. He felt highly out of place amongst this domestic joy that radiated around Candy and her dad.

"Buck" she said taking his hand and leading him over to where her dad was "this is my friend Bucky dad, this is my dad Bucky, his name is Richard" she said looking up, trying to gauge what was going on in that troubled mind of his, and make him comfortable.

"Thank you sir" Bucky managed, taking the man's hand and shaking it.

"I haven't done anything yet" he said chuckling.

"You came" he said and then he looked at the girl beside him "And you helped raise Candy, who has been extremely kind" he said slowly.

Richard's eyebrow raised at the nickname and he looked at Candace, who smiled and shrugged a little at his inquisitive glance.

"I owe you her life" he said looking at the young man, well externally young man, in front of him.

"I was just doing what was right" he said, he felt like he had stole his pal Steve's tagline saying that. "But I'm very glad I did" he said looking down at Candy from under the verge of messy hair that hung around his face and his thick lashes.

"That makes two of us" her dad said with a chuckle. "Well I hope you don't mind if I cut the pleasantries short, I'm exhausted."

"Of course sir" Bucky said politely as Clint helped Richard with his stuff and came back to the living room.

"I'm starving" Clint declared.

"Are we supposed to do something about that?" Bucky asked looking at him.

Clint looked at Candace "fine" she said and drug him to the kitchen, sitting him down as she made some late night French Toast, which Bucky asked to partake in as well.

Clint finished his sixth plate, this being somewhere around the second or third loaf of bread Candace was on now. "You know" he said in a rather sticky voice "you'll make one hell of a wife for some guy" he complimented as she set down another glass of milk for him. "If I weren't married I'd marry you" he said. It was late and Clint's brain got weird late at night. Bucky knew this from when he and Steve and broke him out of the cage in the middle of the sea.

She just shook her head. "Well good thing you already are, otherwise you'd have to pay the price of my fine cooking which would be my excessive geekiness" she quipped. Her face a little rosy from the compliment. She hadn't often been told she was wife material.

"Yeah, and you're a little too old fashioned for my taste" he said casually, trying to tone down the crazy comments he had made with a qualifier. "Maybe Steve or Buck here" he said throwing a suspicious grin at Bucky who just glared.

"How about you stick to shoveling french toast down your face and keep your sticky nose out of my love life" she sassed at him as she handed him a napkin for the syrup he had managed to get on his nose.

Clint, after eight plates of French toast toddled his way out of the kitchen and went to bed in a food coma of bread, egg batter and glasses of milk with the vague scent of nutmeg still in his nose.

Bucky had stopped at six plates and hung around to help Candace clean up.

"Hey" he said putting a hand on her shoulder "you should go to bed" he said seeing how tired she was.

"I'm fine" she said, trying to cover her yawn with her fist.

"No, I got this, go to bed" he said taking the dish scrubber from her and setting it down on the counter beside the sink.

"Thanks" she said going on tiptoe as he bent down and gave her his cheek to kiss. He kissed hers in return. "Your lips are sticky" she said with a giggle as she got a napkin damp and cleaned her cheek.

"Yours too" he retorted, and she reached up and cleaned the spot she had kissed. Bucky took the napkin and wiped his lips. "Let's try that again" he said with a chuckle. An excuse to feel that little thrill he got every time he felt her lips touch his face, was an excuse, and this one was fairly reasonable at least. She wiped her lips on the napkin too before leaning up. This time he kissed her soft cheek first, exhaling as he moved back. For some reason she got a tingle from feeling his breath run across her skin. She shook it off and sweetly pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Goodnight Bucky" she said with a smile as she looked over her shoulder at him from the kitchen door.

"Night Candy" he said smiling back at her.

She went to bed feeling a little more giddy than she had any reason to be. She told herself that she was just glad that her dad was there safe. But when she closed her eyes it wasn't her dad's face she saw, it was those long messy locks falling into a pair of blue eyes full of emotion. She shook her head, she so did not have time to get caught up in feelings, it wasn't very professional, he was her dad's patient, besides, could anything be more cliche than falling for the guy who rescued you. But still the more she tried not to think about it, the more she thought about it. She settled herself with the fact that while it'd be nice if something could happen, it more than likely wouldn't, he had too much going on in his head to have room for fluffy feelings.


	9. Looking Back

The next day Candace made sure to actually get up when her alarm was set so she could at least help with breakfast. She came into the kitchen and Steve and Clint were in muscle tanks and Bucky, yet again, was shirtless. Her face flushed.

"Can you guys put some warning up. I just got up, I wasn't quite prepared for Baywatch at seven-thirty" joking about it seemed more natural with Clint there.

Steve blushed, Bucky's face did similar but he had a small smile lurking at the corners of his mouth, and Clint just flexed.

"Sorry, I should have put up a sign that said FREE GUN SHOW TODAY" he said flexing his biceps and making her facepalm.

Steve and Bucky went and got more appropriate shirts on, realizing her dad could come into the kitchen at any moment and well, it might look a little odd, his daughter in a room with three very muscled, and rather attractive guys. Clint just sat there, reading the news on his phone while Candace took over making breakfast. Bucky came in wearing a button down unbuttoned over a, still distractingly tight, grey shirt. Steve came in a blue shirt. She was beginning to wonder if he owned any other colors in his wardrobe.

At around eight her dad came in.

"How was morning Bible study?" she asked. She always asked him that whenever she saw him in the mornings. She knew that was the first thing he did after he got out of bed.

"It was really good, read about Paul's missionary work. Made me think of what you've been talking to T'Challa about, that school. That's a good idea. I've prayed about it, and I think you're doing the right thing, not that I won't miss you whenever I go back to the States" he said giving her a hug and a kiss on top of her head.

The others were all more touched than they wished to be by the sweet domestic sight of the bond of father and daughter.

"So it takes three superheroes plus my little girl to make breakfast?" he asked with a grin. "If these pancakes aren't at least designed like Cap's shield I'm going to be seriously disappointed" he joked.

"I left my Shield shaped griddle back in San Antonio" Candace confessed before realizing that she had just betrayed her being an enormous Captain America fan, yet again. Bucky caught it and just grinned at her from across the kitchen. She glared good naturedly back at him. Clint was too distracted shoving his face with cheerios as an appetizer to pancakes to even take note.

Breakfast passed and most of them went to their rooms to shower up for the day. Clint was going to be leaving that evening to get back to his family.

"Mr Barnes" Richard said "I'll see you at 10, where would you feel most comfortable?" he asked.

"Somewhere around here, the kitchen or living room, maybe my room if this has to be one of those confidential things" he said.

"We'll discuss it later then" he stated going into his room to ready himself for probably the most challenging patient he would ever attempt to help.

Candace came out of the shower, her hair damp but quickly drying and wearing a nice blouse and dark jeans. She found Bucky on the couch, he was looking at the book she had left out there the day before.

"This book is really big" he said hefting it and then setting it in her lap with a thud.

"Les Miserables" she said "it's a great book. It's the story of redemption and love, it's got man hunts that span decades and revolutions that end badly."

"It sounds intense" he said nodding.

"Why do you think it's so long?" she quipped.

He looked at her "could I borrow it? reading might be better than staring at the walls when I can't sleep" he said looking away from her.

"Of course, just lose it or damage it and you owe me a new copy" she warned.

"You take your books pretty seriously" he said with a soft chuckle.

"I do" she replied handing it to him. He went and put it safely in his room and returned, finding Mr Ross to have taken his place beside Candy. He sat down in the big comfy chair opposite the two of them.

"So Bucky" he began, "it's alright if I call you that?"

"Yes sir, I prefer it actually" he said, remembering how Candy had giggled at his nickname.

"Do you know where you'd like to talk, we could take a walk perhaps? I don't want this to feel like a formal thing" he said, Bucky was momentarily distracted and Mr Ross saw his gaze was on his lovely daughter not himself. He shook his head but Bucky replied soon enough.

"A walk sounds great, do you think it'd be alright to walk outside?" he asked.

"There's those gardens we went through yesterday, they're inside the hospital compound so they should be safe" Candace supplied.

"Yeah, I liked them" Bucky said softly, his eyes flickering over to her face every few moments. He kept thinking about how pretty she was, which he had really picked an awful time to be admiring her shapely legs and pretty smile, considering as her dad was sitting right there, looking straight at him. He tried to focus on something else, his shoes seemed a good choice.

"Candace" Mr Ross said turning to his daughter "could you get me a cup of coffee dear?"

She looked at him curiously, he didn't drink coffee that often, but she stood up and before leaving the living room turned around. "Bucky" she said and he turned, giving her his full attention "you want any coffee or orange juice or anything from the kitchen?"

"Orange juice please" he said looking at her through those thick lashes of his. He turned back around and faced Mr Ross again who had a very thoughtful, slightly intense look on his face.

After bringing them their beverages the two men left to have some privacy in the garden walk and get the preliminary talk over with. Bucky was reluctant to talk, but when he understood there was no way he could expect help if he didn't communicate he slowly began to tell Mr Ross what specifically was troubling him most. They sat in a peaceful corner of the garden and Bucky related how he had trouble sleeping, how he couldn't get the horrors out of his head, and how he just wanted to feel safe around other people, not like a grenade with a pulled pin waiting to explode. He thought of Steve jumping on that grenade in boot camp, not a bad analogy, Steve was still waiting to jump in and save the day from the grenade, only the grenade was him this time.

They talked, Bucky trying to let go of his fear of speaking about his experiences. He told Mr. Ross of his worst, bloodiest memories involving his time as the Winter Soldier. He breathed a sigh of exhaustion. He looked in Mr Ross' eyes, realizing that they were the same colour as Candy's. "Don't tell Candy any of this" he said, pleading in his deep blue eyes.

"Of course not, confidentiality is guranteed, even from my own family" he said looking back into Bucky's tragic blue eyes. "but why don't you want me to tell Candace?" he asked.

Bucky looked away "she's so good and kind, I don't want her knowing all the things I've done."

"You do realize that she's read up on you enough, trying to find you, that she probably knows it all already" he said.

"I know" he nodded sadly "but that's just news, I feel she doesn't see it as real because she read it, she hasn't heard it from me, or from you. I don't want to lose her" he said, and then shook his head "she's been a really good friend" he added. He just looked at Bucky with a suspicious look, that plainly said, friendship was only part of why he didn't want to lose her.

"I see, well, I of course won't tell her, but I think you should put a little more faith in her. Like you said, you two are friends, and I think she can take anything you need to say to her. She's not as fragile as she seems or as tough as she tries to make herself out to be."

Bucky nodded "I knew that last part, she was crying last night, afraid something had happened to you" he said, looking sentimental and thoughtful at the thought of her trusting him enough to cry on his shoulder.

Dr. Ross looked a little surprised. He knew how much his daughter hated having anyone see her cry, especially guys, she was a master of hiding her tears. He looked at Bucky, he knew something there was something extraordinary about this man if his strong independent daughter had been willing to open up to him like that. He wondered what all was going on. He would make a point to ask Candace about it that night.

He looked at his watch "I feel the others are probably having dinner, you ready to go back up?" he asked Bucky.

He nodded thoughtfully. Both Bucky and Richard had much to think about after their conversation in the gardens that day. He had realized how badly he had needed a neutral figure to spill his thoughts and nightmares of the past to. But Dr. Ross felt familiar, he had Candy's eyes and her compassionate nature. He guessed that was why he was easier to open up to. He reminded him of Candy, without being Candy, and him having to deal with those funny feelings he got around her.

Dinner passed pleasantly, Clint joined them before heading out to go back to Rio. Steve got better acquainted with Dr. Ross who had some insight for Captain Culture Shock.

"Hey dad" came a voice from the living room, interupting Steve and Richard's conversation.

"What is it sweetheart?" he said stepping into the living area.

"Wanna play Monopoly with us?" she said as she sat on the floor across from the man who had just poured out some pretty dark atrocities to him earlier that day. Dr. Ross was confused thoroughly by seeing a man so scarred being such a child.

"I'm fine, you two go at it" he said chuckling.

"Darn right, I'm goin' to win tonight. I can feel it!" she said confidently.

"You said that last night" Bucky said with a proud little grin "and the night before."

"Hush" she said glaring as she set up the bank.

"And the night before that" he prodded.

Richard just looked from them to Steve, a curious expression on his slightly lined face.

"They've been playing Monopoly every night for almost two weeks now. Candace still hasn't won."

Richard chuckled, and then looked over at the two of them.

"Before you two get too involved with acquiring hotels on Park Place, can I talk to you for a minute" he said to Candace. Bucky watched as her eyes went a little wide, it was always scary when parents said they needed to talk to you. She got up and her dad took her into his room, shutting the door. "Candace" he said, and she gulped, wondering what she had done.

"Yes daddy" she said feeling very on the spot.

"I have a question for you" he began "which you don't even have to answer, I just want you to think about it, because you might or might not have thought about it at this point yet" he said. She looked a little puzzled now, and still nervous. "Are you and Bucky... how do I put it, because I know the two of you aren't together, you wouldn't have hid that from me. So are you interested him, or do you know that he likes you?" he asked.

She was silent, a faint flush creeping into her cheeks. "I don't think so" she said.

"That you like him, or he likes you?"

"Either really" she said. "I like being around him, but I know he'll never feel that way, I think I'm just more like his comfort blanket and good friend, which is fine. I have zero expectations there."

"So you haven't went to the dark side?" he teased, standing up and giving her a hug.

"No, I do like how comfortable I am around him, and the fact he can dance well, you know how much of a must that is for me, but I don't think he has room left in his head for love and romance" she said sadly.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, love can get into even the most broken's person brain" he started.

"Dad... don't do the whole science thing about endorphins and hormones and stuff, it just makes love sound so clinical" she said, cutting him off before he went all science on her.

"You know I know there's more to it than that, but it is fascinating" he said.

"And ruins the feelings" she said with a smile.

"Alright, go run along and play Monopoly. I don't need to champerone do I?" he teased but she just rolled her eyes.

"G'night daddy" she said and went out the door sitting down across from Bucky whose eyes seemed a little less mournful when she was filling his gaze. She blushed and tucked some hair behind her ear and made her first die toss for the game. "So how did talking with my dad go?" she asked.

"Really well, he mainly just let me talk, I think he'll have more to say tomorrow" he said focusing on his die toss. "Do you think I can get better in my head again?" he asked looking at her through his eyelashes.

She was surprised by the question and gave it the thought it deserved before answering. "Yes" she said "if I believe in anything, I believe that with God anything is possible, and with as much as me and my dad have prayed for you, I'd say you stand a good chance of at least coping and not letting your past control you anymore" she said, reaching over and giving his hand an encouraging squeeze. He gave her a sad smile. Silence hung over them for a long while as they played the game. He was just studying her, thinking of her, she was getting into his head and his heart way more than he had thought possible. He thought all these feelings had died when he went under but seeing her just made him wish she was his more. But he kept his burgeoning feelings in check, reminding himself that she deserved much better than a broken man with a track record of blood.


	10. Somewhere Along the Way

The second day Dr. Ross was there, Candace slipped away to talk with T'Challa about her starting a school for the children at the hospital. She had decided she wanted to stay inside the hospital if she could. And there didn't seem to be much done for the children in the hospital missing school due to their illnesses. She explained all this and the king of Wakanda seemed truly touched by her thoughtful concern for the children of his country.

"What salary would you like Miss Ross?" he asked.

"This is strictly voluntary" she explained "I mean other than I get to keep staying here and eating the food. Room and board is all I ask" she said smiling.

"You are too generous, at least allow me to give you some sort of salary, for expenses outside of food and housing" he said firmly.

"As you wish your highness, though just being here and finding something useful to do is more than enough. At last I've found something of meaning to do with my life, you've no idea how fulfilling that is to a spoiled child like me" she said.

"I believe you have already been of impact, even just here in Wakanda" he said meaningfully.

She nodded with a smile, looking out towards the gardens, knowing that was where her father and Bucky were.

"You want to be near him don't you?" the king asked.

"Yes" she said "I've grown attached to his company, and I think he needs, or at least appreciates, mine" she replied modestly.

T'Challa simply smiled and nodded at her. "Will you need any supplies, just speak to my secretary, she can order whatever you might require to start teaching here" he explained "and I shall send for an interpreter for the children who don't know English. Though many of them do. Our schools try to teach them the language of the West so they can succeed in the areas that English will aid them. Which is most to be honest" he said with a small smile "I did not think a language could dominate the planet so, until I traveled abroad and found most countries knew your language."

"And it's a very weird language to be the one that dominates the planet" she admitted.

"It is, many of your words sound or are spelled the same but have very different meanings" he confessed. "I used to be so upset with my father for forcing me to learn it. I now understand it's value" he said.

When she returned to the others Bucky was sitting in the living room with a plain brown leatherbound journal on his knees. He quickly shut it when Candace walked up.

"What's that?" she asked sitting beside him.

"Nothing" he said a little guiltily.

"Come on Buck" she protested.

He was silent, she reached for the book but he promptly sat on it. She frowned with the biggest pouty lip she could push out.

"Fine" he relented "it's a journal. Your dad thought it might be a good way for me to process my memories."

She smiled "I'm glad, I hope it helps" she said and then leaned over, putting her head on his shoulder as she settled in and watched the movie that was playing on mute on the tv on the opposite wall. He leaned up and grabbed the remote, watching Casablanca with her, just being a pal under his arm. Though every time he actually looked at her he knew that wasn't true, she meant way more to him than just a pal. Still, she felt nice to put his arm on and he wasn't about to ask for anything more than just a friend.

The next week she began teaching. Steve, seeing his friend was in capable hands with the Ross' and T'Challa decided to go see how the other wanted team members were doing. Visiting Wanda, who was very fragile after losing her brother and then having to turn against Vision when they had had the showdown with Tony. She went to teach the children around nine or ten, five mornings out of the week. She began to foster a mentor position with the children she taught, especially the older ones who were thinking about what to pursue in their adult lives and some of them trying to figure out how they were to navigate their adult lives with their life alterring disabilities. She listened, advised, and occasionaly comforted the children she was getting to know there. But every night she still found time to sit down with Bucky and play Monopoly. And Sundays her and her father went to the church that her friend in Bucharest's mission funds had planted in Wakanda. She thought it was funny how things worked out like that. Bucky always wished he could go with them, or even trust himself to leave the hospital premises.

He felt a little abandoned, Steve was gone, and while Candy's father was around him for about four hours everyday it didn't make up for her not being there. His dreams started to come back, the unpleasant Winter Soldier ones. He wanted to see more of Candace, and he wanted to do something nice for her. Despite the things the loneliness caused, he was feeling a little more confident. He still feared what would happen if someone got to him the way Zemo had but here in Wakanda he felt pretty safe.

Saturday morning came and Candy crawled out of bed around eleven, having had an intense match of Monopoly that had lasted til four the night before.

"Hey sleepyhead" he said putting down a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her on the table. There was buttered toast to go with the bacon and eggs.

"I'm impressed" she said smiling at him.

"I was kind of hoping for that" he confessed. "I was also hoping maybe you could get free from planning studies for a few hours today" he said almost shyly.

"Why?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Nothing" he said with a guilty crimson in his cheeks.

"Fine, I'm game for whatever it is you're up to Bucky" she said looking at him and shaking her head. He could have suggested doing the fire walk while having venomous snakes thrown at her and she would likely have agreed. For one his company meant that much to her, and two, she knew whatever dangers arose Bucky would always protect her. The only thing he couldn't protect her from was himself, and little did she know he seemed incapable of protecting himself from her. Her merest smile or the press of her hand and he was a defenseless mess. How all the people who lived in fear of the Winter Soldier would have laughed to know what a pile of mush the ex-assassin was with just a touch from his best gal pal and the girl who ruled his heart.

While she showered he went and knocked on her dad's door.

"Come in" he said, looking up to see the dark haired man fill his doorway. "What can I do for you Bucky?" he asked, expecting that he had something he needed to discuss.

"Can I ask you a question?" he said looking almost shy.

"Of course" Richard replied genially, leaning forward, giving Bucky his full attention.

"I was going to go for a little adventure, outside the compound" he said.

"You mentioned something about feeling able to manage it a few days ago" he said "glad you're feeling up to challenging yourself. So what was your question?"

Bucky glanced around the room, his brain a frenzy. "Is it alright if I take Candace with me?" he asked.

"Are you asking for my permission?" Richard said standing up.

"I suppose so" he said uncertainly.

"What I mean" he clarified "are you asking me for my permission date my daughter?"

Bucky's face went crimson and he felt like he wished he could shrink to the size of Ant-Man and run away out of the room. "I wasn't asking that, I just wanted to know if you felt it was alright for her to be alone, with someone like me. Do you feel safe with her being with me?" he asked sincerely concerned.

Dr. Ross tried to process everything Bucky had just said, considering as the words had spilt out of the man's mouth like a fast flowing waterfall, which was something he wasn't used to from Bucky. Richard put his hand on his patient's shoulder.

"Bucky" he began "there's no one, other than maybe Cap, that I would feel safer having her around."

He looked at Dr. Ross in utter surprise. "Me?" he asked pointing to himself.

"Yes, I know you would never consciously hurt her, and you'd defend her with your life if a harmful situation arose, because you love her" he stated, Bucky spluttered. "Don't deny it, I've known you had feelings almost since I arrived in Wakanda, the depth of them has just become more obvious the longer I've been here."

Bucky stared straight at the floor, his blush reaching his ears as he focused on a knot in the wood plank his left foot was on.

"Listen" Richard said, demanding his attention. "I know if my daugther makes up her mind to return your ardour, there's little I could do to stop it. She is so stubborn. And I did promise her that I'd trust her judgement, she's pretty cautious about her feelings. But in this case" he said looking at the sad and lonely man standing in front of him "I'd say she could have chosen worse, for sure" he said. It felt weird encouraging a guy's hopes of dating his daughter, but Bucky wasn't just some guy, he was some guy he felt pretty sure his daughter loved too, she was just being a little slow about letting her feelings win against her judgement, or at least of letting htem show.

"I don't see how" Bucky said looking Candy's father in the eye.

Dr. Ross wanted to hit the back of Bucky's head like Gibbs in the tv show NCIS, but he refrained. "If my little girl thinks you're worthy, you damn well better believe you're worthy. I've seen her turn down many a guy, and so consider it an honor that she likes you" he said a little frustrated with how stubbornly melancholic his patient was being.

"She likes me?" he asked, his face lifting with hope.

"I don't know, why don't you ask her yourself?" he suggested with the faintest grin.

"Bucky" came a voice out in the hallway. He moved to leave, throwing a curious glance back over his shoulder at Dr. Ross, who just wore an encouraging and slightly smug smile.

"So where are we going?" she asked when he emerged from her father's room.

Bucky's mouth went a little dry as he saw how nice she looked after freshening up. She had a casual sundress on, suited to the warmth of the day, and a dainty pair of white sandals. He pulled his eyes away from her shapely legs and put them back on that smile that he loved so much. He offered her his arm, like a gentleman, and they sailed out the door.

"So you never answered my question" she said "because it's pretty clear we're going somewhere."

"On an adventure" he said smiling, leading her out of the small maintenance gate at the edge of the gardens. They walked out through the wall into the forest beyond. It was warm and sunny and the day was a little sticky. They walked down a small forest trail. He moved all of the branches out from in front of them, holding them until she had passed so they didn't whip back and hit her. He was surprised how his concern for her overode his concern about keeping himself stable. It was almost like taking care of her made him more stable.


	11. Get Out and Get Under the Moon

After their little explore in the woods Candy kept finding it harder and harder to rationalize Bucky's behaviour as just that of a friend. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that he was just doing the sweet things, like breakfast most mornings, and outings, and she was pretty sure, letting her win at Monopoly, just out of gratitude for her finding him help and being a friend. And to be fair, the hope that his concern was more than friendly, was getting harder to keep pinned down. Those mornings he'd be standing in the kitchen, usually shirtless, because he seemed to be more comfortable only half clothed, making breakfast made her dream of waking up to a life like that with him everyday for the rest of her life. She could see settling down with her old fashioned, broken Romeo. She had always hoped for a guy who still understood how to treat a lady. A talent that had seemed to die out about the same time Cap went under. The last great generation had been the last to keep traditional dating behaviours alive.

Everything was confusing about dating now. She had had guys in her church take her out and try to get her to bed and think there was nothing hypocritical about that in the slightest. There had been boys she knew at work who didn't even think to ask her to dinner before they asked her for sexual favours. And even the guys whose top priority wasn't getting in her pants seemed so painfully shy about even talking to her that most of the time she had no idea whether they were just friends or something more. Though that same dilemma existed with Bucky, in his case though there were some special circumstances, he had had his brain taken out, thrown around, and twisted a few times.

Bucky, in an effort to understand Candy's background, and his own from before going under, spent Sunday afternoons listening to Candace talk about what had been discussed in church. If he hadn't been a wanted man he would have went with her, but hearing second hand was good enough. He slowly began to remember what his faith had once meant to him, back when he had had one. He got Dr. Ross to find him a Bible so he could refresh his mind on the things he had learned as a child and had erased by Hydra and the Russians. He also liked how it gave him one more thing to talk with Candace about. He loved watching her face light up as she talked about the things God had done in her life. He finally began to understand where that radiance she had came from. It was like the mosaics of the saints in the cathedrals, just like he had compared her to when they had first met in Bucharest and she had been unafraid of him.

Dr. Ross had been there for a little over a month when he began to talk of his need to return to the states. He had other patients, and he felt with Candace there and Steve returning soon Bucky could be fairly stable. He had progressed a long way in that little time, and processed through enough things where he could sleep five or six nights out of the week. Candace felt a little sad at the idea of her dad leaving her, even if he promised he's make his stay two full months at least before going back to Dallas.

The evening after Dr. Ross first mentioned his need to return relatively soon, Bucky went and knocked on Candy's door.

"Come in" she said, he opened the door, only moving just inside the doorway. She smiled when she saw him and set the Bible she had been reading in to the side, taking off her reading glasses. "What's up Buck?" she asked, he seemed weirdly silent.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"It's a little late" she said looking out her window at the sun that was sinking towards the hills in the west, she saw his face drop a little. "Oh well, why not" she said swinging her feet off of the bed and standing up and going to his side. His face brightened at seeing her agree to his idea.

He walked her out of the garden door like he had before on what was becoming a routine Saturday event. But instead of sticking to the trail, he lead her through the jungle thickets, to the side of a lake at the bottom of the incline that lead up to the secluded hospital. He moved the last branches aside, ushering her forwards to the lake shore. Her breath caught as she looked at the soft mists gathering over the blue water while the sun sank in fire on the horizon.

"This is beautiful" she said looking up at him, her eyes wide with wonder and appreciation.

"It is" he said looking at her with the glow of the dying sun reflecting off her rosy cheeks and golden curls. She turned and caught his gaze. He blushed a little and taking her arm, started silently walking the shore of the lake with her by his side. Candace wanted to say something, and so did Bucky. But both feared the other one wasn't at all interested in them the way they were in the other.

After having circled most of the lake, and nearing their starting point Bucky stopped and standing in front of Candy he took a deep breath. "I'm going to say this, and I know I shouldn't, and have no business saying anything like this to you" he said his breath falling short, he felt his stomach balling up and tightening inside of him with a sort of tense sick feeling. She just looked at him, a little surprised, but very attentive to what he was saying. "Candy" he began, picking up her two hands in his right hand as he looked to the sky for help. His eyes returned to her face and looked straight into her curious grey eyes "I love you" he said, finally breathing again, though it was a rasp and he stood in dread of how she might react. He knew she wouldn't be cruel, but he felt that would be preferable to the polite answer he was likely to receive from her lips. He looked down to see those very lips tilted upwards and not daring to think he pressed his to hers, feeling her kiss him back. He wrapped his arms around her waist, bending so she didn't have to strain as he hugged her close. He couldn't believe it, she wasn't pushing him away. Her arms encircled his neck as he broke away from the kiss, looking down to see what emotions were on her face.

"Oh Bucky" she said smiling warmly at him and then hugging him tight, clearly telling him his feelings were returned. She didn't want to let go of him, ever again. She had no idea anything on earth could have felt half so nice as having a sweetheart to wrap your arms around. But it would seem she had at long last found someone she could care for who cared for her too. He smiled and looked to the sky, giving a quiet prayer of thanks to God in heaven for somehow blessing him way more than he deserved.

He smiled a whole and warm smile, his blue eyes full of love instead of pain. He gently put his hands on her face, tilting her head back up as he kissed her once more. His hesitation gone. This time he knew she felt the same for him as he did for her. He had wanted to kiss her for so long that he could hardly believe it felt even more amazing than he had wished or imagined it could. They spent hours by the waterfront, walking around it holding hands or sharing fond embraces and long sweet kisses, lost in love.

"You know" he confessed "after I came out of being the Winter Soldier" he said sitting down on the sandy shore and helping her down beside him. "I didn't think I could find a nice old fashioned girl. I thought they were all dead, with everything else from my generation. Then I met you, and to my surprise unicorns lived and sweet upstanding women still existed" he said smiling and pressing a kiss to her hair. "Of course I knew I had absolutely no chance of winning a girl like yours' heart. I mean have you seen you" he said looking at her from under his messy bangs and thick lashes.

"I don't know" she said looking up at him "have you seen you" she leaned over and pressed her lips to his for another soft kiss. He chuckled as they seperated.

"I have, and I honestly don't see how this happened" he said gesturing between himself and her.

"Well" she said "my true confession time then I guess" she began. "I always thought all the good men were gone. Anyone who might know how to treat a girl right, like a lady, was dead or way too old" she looked over at him and giggled "you're an exception to that statement. You look like a twentysomething rock band lead singer" she announced to him. "Anyways" she said, blushing a little, which just made Bucky smile's last even longer and grow a little wider, "I didn't think that chivalry was still alive or that anyone wanted a girl whose life goals were housewifery and being the best cook since Betty Crocker. Too old fashioned for the guys I knew. And certainly my morals were regarded as archaic" she said shaking her head and then laying back and looking up at the stars thoughtfully.

"It must have been tough growing up with standards that fit the era I grew up in more than your own" he said laying back, his arms behind his head, following her example.

"You've no idea" she said dramatically, and then laughed "actually you probably do" she added, nuzzling her head onto his shoulder as he put his around hers.

"I have a unique perspective, we'll just call it that" he said chuckling. He didn't even know he could feel this happy any more.

"Oh sweet lord" she said hiding her face against his chest and giggling "I'm dating someone older than my father" she groaned, still chuckling.

"Probably older than your grandad even" he said "you sure you're alright with this?" he asked, she was laughing, but he had to be sure.

"Well, you're a special case. I mean, subtract all the time you were frozen from your age and you're probably like twenty-seven or something" she conceded.

He shrugged, it was true.

"Oh dear" she had a thought, sitting up suddenly. He bolted up, putting his hand on her shoulder and looking at her concerned.

"What is it?"

"I just realized we're going to have to tell my dad about us at some point" she said looking mortified.

"I am pretty sure he already knows. He is a psychologist. I think he knew before either of us did honestly" he confessed.

"I don't know" she said uncertainly.

"Well I do" he said with a smile "because I asked him for his blessing to ask you out before I came and asked you for this little moonlight walk." He felt a pair of arms be thrown around him and her lips crash onto his in impulsive adoration, knocking him over onto his back. He was surprised but he wasn't about to complain any time soon. He curled his hand in her hair, kissing her back before pulling away after a minute or so, feeling breathless and like his stomach had become the new winter refuge of a migration of butterflies. "What was that for?" he asked a little dazed, pushing the stray curls that were falling in her face behind her ear.

"You, for being so perfectly a gentleman" she said looking at him with an astonishing amount of love shining in her eyes as she gazed at his face. A face that had become unbelievably dear to her. "I've always hoped, but never thought it possible, that I would find someone traditional enough to ask my dad for his permission to date me. But given the current era I had taken that standard off the list, though it was still in my heart a secret wish that I never hoped to see fulfilled" she said looking at him dreamily.

"Well I'm glad I'm so ridiculously old fashioned then" he said "though you could have went for Steve. He's even more old fashioned and a little more sane to boot" he said. She frowned at him "Though I'm sure as hell glad you didn't" he said giving her an emotional kiss. It still felt unreal that she loved him back. He sighed into their lip lock, relaxing at last, believing that this was real and the past few hours hadn't been some dream of his to help him sleep through the night.

After laying there on their backs staring at the moon and stars overhead Bucky sat up and pulled a folded sheet of paper out of his back pocket. It was, in his messy handwriting, a poem. He read it to her as she lay there flicking her gaze between the sky and his face, a smile of delight on her face as she listened.

"That was beautiful, I've never heard it before" she said sitting up and looking over at him.

"You're the first person to ever hear it" he said leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek "and the only one who has any business ever hearing it" he added in a whisper.

"You wrote it?" she asked, a little surprised. She knew he used writing as a coping mechanism, but having never been allowed to read any of his journal entries she had been completely unprepared for how good of a poet he was. He smiled at her astonished face and then stood up.

"It's time I had you back before your dad takes back his permission" he said giving her a hand up.

From his window Richard Ross watched his little girl progress up the pathway to the hospital with her arms around his patient. He shook his head. This was never quite how he had imagined his daugther to find love. He turned his light off a little sneakily, he hoped to overhear a little of their conversation unsuspected. Also he didn't want Bucky to feel he had to explain himself, not just yet, he'd be keeping an eye on how handsy the Winter Soldier tried to get with his little spring flower.

He heard them come down the hall. There was some silence, a strangely suspicious silence in which Richard had an overwhelming desire to fly out of his room and pull Bucky away from kissing his little girl, he refrained. After the silence he heard a dreamy girlish voice whisper "goodnight" and a door open.

"Goodnight Candy" he heard Bucky say, a boosted confidence in the broken man's voice. There was another silence. "Right" he overheard said so softly he nearly didn't hear it "I should let you go" he said with reluctance.

"Goodnight again" Candace said her joy apparent in her voice, and then her door clicked close. A little while longer in which he heard a couple giddy sighs of happiness and he heard Bucky's door open and close.

Richard lay there in silence, suddenly wanting all those years of Candace's childhood back. He wanted to push her on the swings in the backyard and take her on carousel rides and to feed the geese forever. He was happy that she had found love and happiness, but he still wanted his little girl to stay little. It was his own fault he thought, he'd practically encouraged the haunted soldier to take his only daughter out under the moonlight and woo her. He thought about it, maybe it had been the right thing then, not that even Steve Rogers was worthy of his little girl. Though she seemed to think Bucky was, and that was all that mattered. That and that he treated her right. He'd recruit Cap to put him in line if he didn't. He fell asleep feeling happy for his daughter, but also a little bittersweet at her taking her first step away from him and out of her father's arms and into those of a lover.


	12. That's My Girl

From that night on Bucky and Candy spent most of their spare time together, late night Monopoly turned into late night cuddling while the Monopoly board lay set out but untouched. Bucky hadn't known he could feel so whole, and Candace hadn't believed she could be that much happier than she normally was. While her dad was in on the secret, and frecquently had to sit through his daughter's moony gushing over how great her beau was and how much she felt for him, no one else knew. T'Challa was wise enough to suspect but they decided to play it cool until maybe Steve returned. They'd find a way to surprise him with the news.

Weeks passed and the week for her dad to leave came. He gave Bucky a stiff talking to about what exactly he'd see done to him if he hurt his little girl or crossed certain lines. Bucky respectfully agreed to all of his demands. And the next day he was gone. Candace didn't know where he had went, nor did Richard. She felt like all the wind had been knocked out of her when she realized he was nowhere to be found. That evening, after having split her time between crying and fruitlessly searching for him. She had been so distraught she hadn't even went to teach the children in the hospital that day.

T'Challa came to the hospital and asked to see Candace privately. She put on her best smile and tried to pretend that the puffiness in her eyes was from allergies.

"I came to tell you that Bucky" he began and her eyes widened with a need to hear his words "he fears General Ross, who I believe is a minor relation of yours, suspects he's here. Captain Rogers came to extract him earlier today, they're going to try and send someone to remove your father and you from here, just so no one wonders what a leading psychologist and his daughter are doing here." T'Challa spoke all of this in a low whisper. "You have the story of being a teacher, your dad's pressence would be more difficult to explain."

She nodded "but why couldn't he have told me himself, or said goodbye" she pouted a little heartbroke that he could leave without even talking to her or telling her were he was going.

"I'm sure he had reasons Miss Ross" he said trying to comfort her.

The next day, General Ross came to the hospital. Claiming he simply wanted to see the fine progress and advancements Wakanda was making. T'Challa was polite but nothing beyond civil to the General. He walked through the hospital a little too purposefully as he made for the guest rooms.

He saw Candace hard at work in the kitchen, washing dishes. He hadn't heard the names of the suspected companions of Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes, so he was more than startled when she turned around from her work. He knew that face. It was the one he had seen in the company of his daughter on many an occasion. The cousins had stopped hanging out after Betty had become involved with Bruce Banner. His daughter had felt she had too many secrets she was unable to share with her cousin and friend. And since General Ross and Dr. Ross had never been close after about the age of eleven. Christmas cards every year that he never returned, were all the evidence he had had of Candace Ross' existence until he saw her standing there in the flesh.

"General Ross" she said with a severe look in her eyes.

"Not even uncle?" he asked looking just as severe.

"No sir" she said stiffly.

He looked around suspiciously "why are you here?" he demanded.

"I'm teaching the children at the hospital" she said professionally.

"Miss Ross is my honored guest, her work here has been of great impact" T'Challa said politely. The General just looked more suspcious.

Meanwhile, Richard was being smuggled out of the building by Steve, Scott, and Bucky. Clint feared he was being watched as things stood and he didn't want to endanger his family by leaving them alone. T'Challa had pinned a micro-camera on General Ross when he had put his hand on his shoulder to point his attention in a particular direction. They had both sound and visual on the man who had put forward the Accords.

Ross walked down the hallway and pushed open one of the doors. It had been her dad's room. He didn't see anything to indicate it had been occupied recently. He went to the room next and saw it was hers, forcing some obligatory compliment before he swiveled around and opened the door across the hall T'Challa growing impatient with the inference, however accurate it might be, being put on his honour by the actions of the General, but he steadied himself, not wanting to act rashly and risk arousing the man's keen suspcions.

He looked in the room, spotting the sleeve hanging out of the closet on the far wall. Candace blanched and T'Challa put a reassuring hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Whose room is this?" he asked pulling on the sleeve that hung from the closet, though not opening it. He knew he could only peruse so deep in the room before being too rude for T'Challa's patience.

"My boyfriend's" Candace answered.

Steve stopped in the middle of helping Mr Ross into the back of an inconspicuous delivery truck, and looked straight at Bucky who told him to just move it so they could get Richard out of there safely. Steve continued to watch on the holographic display on his watch.

"So you're dating someone?" he said attempting to sound avuncular and communicative.

"Yes" she replied smiling.

"What's the lucky guy's name?" he asked trying to make his interogation sound like friendly family catch up.

"Alex" she made up. "Alex Thompson" she said, just to make it seem authentic, giving the guy a last name. She felt sure if the actual Alex Thompson in San Antonio was asked whether he was her boyfriend he would presumptiously claim the title without question.

Steve looked at Bucky, surprised and confused. "Just drive Captain Crunch" he said, pointedly not making eye contact with his best friend.

"What was he doing here?" he asked.

"Visiting me obviously" she said rolling her eyes.

"I see" he said nodding. "So how is your father these days?" he asked, unable to bring himself to call him brother.

"He's really well. He was out here to visit a while back too" she said casually.

"He's a busy man, why would he be here for over a month?" he asked, grinning to have her trapped.

"Maybe you don't understand what it's like to be a loving father, uncle" she accused "but dad cares about me, and misses me when I'm gone, and he wanted to make sure I was happily settled in here" she said.

"I love my daughter" he retorted "and I can tell you're lying" he said aggresively.

"Because of confidentiality" T'Challa interjected, coming between the estranged relations. "Her father was here to speak with me as well as to visit his daughter, who is very dear to him" he said looking at Candace and giving her a serious look that told her to just play along.

"Your highness?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, I had wanted his professional advice on some troubles I have been having" he said.

"I see" he said, still suspcious. "Regarding what?"

"Excuse me!" Candace said heatedly "you cannot simply ask someone about confidential matters, especially those relating to their personal struggles. But then you don't know anything about obeying laws, just making them for other people" she accused.

"I don't have time for confidentiality when I'm this close to locating two or more wanted men" he said angrily.

"What are you saying?" T'Challa demanded imperiously.

"Do you have any idea how thoughtless you're being? You come barging in here, as if you owned Wakanda and demand personal information from the sovereign of the land where you're a guest. Then you seem to think he's hiding fugitives from you, insulting his highness' integrity. One can only imagine you must believe some of the Avengers are suspected to be here. Avengers he fought against in the fight that divided them. One of the men you are suspecting him of harbouring could easily be the man believed to have bombed Vienna, in which case you owe his majesty a serious apology" she warned heatedly.

The General gritted his teeth and bowed to the King of Wakanda "my apologies your majesty" he said stiffly. He walked out of the room. For the sake of seeming still genial, and like family, she followed him, walking downstairs with him.

"I don't know what you think you're up to" he said under his breath as he rounded on her "but I don't believe any of your and T'Challa's stories. Captain Rogers and the Winter Soldier were here."

"His name is Bucky and he saved my life" she said against her better judgement.

"So you admit it's a lie" he said feeling victory was in his grasp.

"He saved my life going on a year ago, in Bucharest" she said glaring at him with an extremely put out look on her face.

"I don't believe it" he said indignantly.

"Well it's true all the same" she said.

"And where is your hero now?" he accused, accenting the word hero with a sneer.

"I haven't the slightest idea" and her estranged uncle knew she wasn't lying. He turned away, he was leaving another lead disappointed. "One more thing" she said "just so you know, you shouldn't waste your time laying accusations at the feet of the innocent like you just did T'Challa. You only see threats General Ross. You don't see that these men you hunt and those you suspect carry a weight much heavier than just their supposed crimes. They have been through great personal loss as well. T'Challa lost his father in the very crime you want to lay at Bucky's feet. And Bucky is a haunted man who committed acts against his own free will, and yet rather than having compassion on these men you hunt them. They deserve some peace, and all you want to do is drive them towards crime or watch them, waiting for an opportunity to lock them away for the slightest breach of your precious rules. Rules that never should have been instated inthe first place" she said.

"That's my girl" Bucky said with pride as he listened to the audio and watched the scene on the hologram display while Steve drove. Steve looked over at him and just grinned, beaming from ear to ear. Bucky looked out of the window, his face going a shade of red akin to that of a cherry or even a beet. Though what Steve didn't need to see to know was there, was a huge grin on his friend's face. The grin fell though as Bucky realized he had no idea when he was going to see his sweetheart again.

"Thank you for your opinions Candace" he said and then left. T'Challa stood above them by the bannister, having watched the entire scene and heard most of it.

After the General left he came downstairs and turned to her. "Your words were full of wisdom, though not perhaps the best of timing. He will likely watch this hospital more closely, despite my efforts. Perhaps when summer comes you can invent an excuse to leave, as much as I'd hate to see you go" he said. "He could not be too suspicious of a teacher taking time away during the summer months" he suggested.

"I suppose" she said thoughtfully "it seems best" she conceded. "How many months until summer?"

"A little over two" he said and watched her face fall and heard a small groan of despair leave her lips. He comfortingly put his hand on her shoulder. "Courage. You're a lady, fit to be a princess, and you must be strong. For you must know he is finding it just as hard to be strong without you" he said sagaciously.

She nodded and walked dejectedly up to her room. Burying her face in her pillow and crying. She opened her nightstand and took out the little stack of paper tied with ribbon that contained all of the poetry and letters Bucky had given to her thus far. Usually slipping them under her door with a sticky note on top telling her breakfast was ready. She hadn't kept the sticky note, she wished she had now, and even dug all the ones that were in the trash out of it and put them along with the poems and letters. Two months was going to feel like an eternity, and now she didn't even have her father for company. She was alone. It was surprising how awful it felt, she had lived her adult years on her own, in an apartment or nice house with nothing but books for company, but it had seldom hurt like it did now. She felt like someone had ripped out her heart out of her chest and ran it through a meat grinder.

The next night though her father called from Dallas trying to sound as if he had been back in Texas for ages in case his estranged brother had had his line tapped. "I'm sorry to hear you and Alex decided to separate" he said, his intonation letting her know that what he really meant was he was sorry her and Bucky had been torn apart. "I love you and call me whenever you need to" he said.

Candace's prayers happened throughout the day now as she fretted about the safety of her father, her boyfriend and their friends and dealt with her aching lonely heart. But what she didn't realize at the time was that she was learning trust, and that each day that brought her closer to the summer added one more knot to the unbreakable love chain between her and Bucky. Absence made both of their hearts grow more loyal even while they felt all the pangs of loneliness.


	13. The Good Old Summertime

The weeks passed like years, Candace felt certain she could feel her hair going white and wrinkles appearing it had been so long since she had seen Bucky. She poured herself into teaching the children at the hospital to keep her mind off of how much she missed him, and how worried she was. She felt certain T'Challa knew where he and the others were hiding but wouldn't tell her.

From the day he had leaft Candace in the hospital, not daring to say goodbye even, Bucky had been a mess. His dreams had come back, and every few days he'd suggest a sneaky trip to Wakanda to get intel from the Black Panther. Steve and Scott just looked at him like he was a little out of it, considering as T'Challa sent them encoded messages with all relevant updates, and they were in England at the moment, so a trip to Africa was a little impractical.

Bucky had said nothing to Steve or anyone about his and Candy's romance, though Cap strongly suspected something was afoot there. He just grew quieter and quieter and had reread Les Miserables for the sixth time now. His stability was shaky without her around to steady him and make him feel whole. But always he reminded himself he couldn't let go and give in to the desire to quit and hate himself like he wanted to, because she loved him and one day he'd see her again.

Early in June Sharon came to see the two of them, Scott had left for a few weeks to investigate some things afoot back in the States.

"Hey" Steve said as he helped her inside, Bucky was watching rugby on the tv in the little inconspicuous London apartment. He checked over his shoulder to see that his pal was still distracted and then leaned down and kissed Sharon. He had missed her, he knew Bucky felt the same way about Candace.

"Hello Steve" she said coming in and then seeing Bucky sitting there "hi" she said politely.

Bucky looked up, nodded and mumbled a greeting.

Sharon whispered to Steve when they went to get a glass of water from the kitchen. "I thought you said he was getting better" she said.

"He was, I think he just really misses having Candace around. There's only so much I can do" he said shrugging. "There's nothing quite like having the girl you love around to do you a world of good" he said and gave her a hug.

"When did Captain Awkward become so smooth?" she teased and they both chuckled.

Bucky felt so irrationally irritated by how happy Steve and Sharon were, not that he begrudged his friend any happiness, he just wished he didn't have to see Steve's dopey grin when the source of his own dopey grins was off away in Africa and he hadn't seen her for going on two months. He knew he couldn't risk her by going and seeing her, but he wanted to. He grabbed his journal and started writing again. It was the only way he hung on without her around, that and reading the Bible her dad had gotten him.

Steve and Sharon came back into the living room after a suspiciously silent amount of time in the kitchen. Bucky forced a less severe look onto his face, almost smiling.

Sharon told them some news that might spell another smackdown between people pro-Accords and Cap's gang of fugitives. She hated to break that news to them. But forewarned is forearmed.

"Sooner or later they will find all of you, and I would think it would be better for them to find you all together than separated and easier to bring in. I saw Scott a week or so ago, he's exploring some leads about Zemo and what he was up to before he was brought to justice" she explained. "I told him that he should get Sam when he comes back here."

The two men nodded.

After a short amount of time, Steve walked Sharon to her car and then came back in. He now knew exactly how Bucky felt. He sat down on the couch by his best pal and tried to watch the match but was bored and wished it could have at least been baseball.

As July came nearer Bucky started perking up, T'Challa had let them know that she would be heading their way early in that month. Even though he had been cleaning as a way of coping already, Bucky was going around the whole apartment cleaning everything all over again.

"Buck" Steve called from the living room.

"Yes" he said looking in from the kitchen.

"You'll make Candace a wonderful wife someday" he ribbed his pal.

"Shut up" Steve heard as a dirty dishcloth simultaneously sloshed into his face.

"Low blow bro" he said as soapy dirty dishwater from cleaning underneath the sink came oozing down his arm.

"You deserved it" Bucky retorted. Steve just shrugged and they both chuckled.

"Do you think she'll be safe?" he asked Steve after he returned from changing into a dry shirt.

"Candace?" he replied, looking at his best friend's thoughtful face as he gazed out of the little front window. Bucky just nodded. "I don't see why not? T'Challa isn't one to be careless and he'll see that she gets here safely."

That evening a knock came on the door and Bucky practically flew to it, pulling it open to simply see Falcon standing there. Sam came in and Bucky checked outside the door with a quick look. No one was there except a few people dressed in tacky patriotic costume. The next day was Steve's birthday, commonly known as Independence Day. And while they were in England not America, the British seemed to find the colonies rebellion an excuse to party. He shook his head and went back in the door.

"I saw Fury, he wanted me to give this to you Cap" Sam said handing Steve a birthday card that upon being opened started playing Yankee Doodle.

"Fury sent this?" Steve asked.

"I think there might be something hidden or encrypted, otherwise he's lightened up a lot since SHIELD fell it would seem." Sam looked over at Bucky "hey tin soldier" he said hailing him "you might want to go outside for a minute."

"Why?" he asked confused.

"There's a lost looking girl that I think you might know out there" Sam didn't even finish before Bucky had vanished out the door leaving the two running mates to stand there almost giggling at how the somber soldier perked up at the mention of his lady love.

Bucky came outside "so I was in the right area" she said smiling before rushing to meet him, as he rushed to her and pulled her tight in his arms. He held her and lifted her off her feet before checking over his shoulder to see that his friends hadn't followed him and then kissing her.

"I can't tell you how good it is to have you here" he said hugging her again. He never wanted to let go.

"I've missed you so Bucky" she said with a deep sigh of contentment.

"Come on, let's get you inside" he said taking her arm and leading her in, shutting the door behind them. "Hey, pigeon head" he said hailing Sam "why didn't you bring her in with you?" he chastized.

Sam glared at the nickname "It's Falcon" he stated "and I only knew who she was, I didn't know she was invited to the party. I thought it was only us guys" he said sounding bummed "we can't take Steve to a strip club with there being a girl underfoot."

"You can't take Steve to a strip club period pigeon head" Sharon said, she had somehow crept in the door without being heard by any of them. Steve's face was still ablaze with beet red blushing from Sam's suggestion of a strip club.

"See what you started tin-man" Sam said glaring at Bucky who just grinned.

"Sharon" Steve said coming over to her. He was surprised that she would risk coming so soon after having visited just a couple weeks before "what are you doing here?"

"Some girlfriend I'd be if I missed your birthday" she said with a mock pouty lip.

"I'd rather have you safe than be here" he said protectively "but I'm glad you came" he said and risked a kiss to her cheek, which still roused catcalls from Bucky and Sam along with Candace who just applauded.

"I don't think you two have met" Steve said his cheeks tinged with red. "Sharon, this is Candace, her dad helped Bucky" he said, wanting to just be upfront and introduce her as the girl Bucky was smitten with. "Candace, this is Sharon, she used to work for SHIELD and..." his face went red and even though he was immune to alcohol he felt a little tipsy as the words tumbled out "and she's my girlfriend" he added proudly.

"I kinda guessed that last part" Candace teased and then took Sharon's hand in introduction. "Nice to meet you Sharon."

"You as well Steve has told me a lot about you" she said and then leaning in whispered "and I won't tell them about you and Bucky outside. Me and Steve can be the topic if it will spare you two."

"Thanks" Candace whispered back, blushing.

"But you two looked super sweet" she added.

A few drinks were served in celebration of the eve of Independence Day and a pile of gifts was accumulating on the table. Sam and Candace were also introduced to each other.

"Hey, I found Steve's Spotify" Sam said triumphantly. "How about you two show us how it was done in the olden days" he teased queing up an old time Glenn Miller track.

Steve looked flustered but Candace just got up and took Bucky's hand and the two of them fell into a dance. In order to not make them feel like the center of all eyes, though they were anyways, Sharon took Steve's hand and Falcon saw his best friend and his best friend's best friend dance with their girls and shrugged off his lonely feelings. So much for getting a chance with the girl at the front desk at the VA when you're a wanted man.

"I didn't even know you knew how to use Spotify" Candace sassed as her and Bucky danced, putting Steve and Sharon to shame, not that either pair was paying attention to skill at this point.

"I've learned a few things" he said rolling his eyes. "Like this" and he did a moderately complex swing dance move with Sharon.

"Is that a challenge?" Bucky asked giving him a look.

"DANCE OFF!" Sam shouted out "only I get to pick the tunes."

"Oh no" Bucky, Sharon, Steve and Candace all protested.

"Hey if I gotta watch you four lovebirds dance let's at least make it entertaining" he said.

"So let's start out with a personal favourite of mine" he said queing up Rollout by Ludacris. Steve and Bucky just looked very confused, Sharon and Candace simultaneously rolled their eyes and crossed their arms.

"Sam, this song hasn't been popular since I was in elementary school" Candace pointed out, but Falcon kept jamming, not even paying attention.

"Hey pigeon-head Wilson, this song wasn't good when it came out" Sharon interjected.

"Whatever, don't hate on me and business" he said making to slide across the floor and going a little too far and smashing into the window.

"Guess he's taking the bird thing a little too seriously" Bucky cracked.

"Alright y'all" he said going over to his phone and pulling up a new track in defeat. Something for the older generation present" he said starting a Strauss waltz.

"You're awful at this you know right?" Sharon said, but Bucky and Candace didn't care, Bucky knew the waltz too.

Sam let the classical tune play while he pulled up another song. This was slightly more current, Bruno Mars. The four dancers all agreed this was his best choice yet. They danced to a few more songs Bucky and Candace excelling at them all. After a while of being served humble pie on the floor by his best pal Steve had a thought.

"Where are we going to put all of you?" he asked suddenly thinking about what was to be done whenever the girls got tired.

"I'll take the couch" Sam said.

"And we can put our two beds in one room for Sharon and Candy"

"Yeah, that works, you and me can pull out those extra blankets" Steve agreed.

The two girls just smiled at their old fashioned gentlemanly boyfriends, Sam just looked a little shocked that even the Winter Soldier was playing things as chaste as Cap was. These two guys were a bit much to believe somedays.

They all waited until midnight, toasted Cap's ninety-seventh birthday and then settled down for the evening. Bucky wanted to give Candace a goodnight kiss but with Sam on the couch, Steve in the one room and Sharon in the other, there was absolutely no secluded place in the apartment.

Later in the night Candace got up for a glass of water and went into the kitchen, still half asleep. She filled her cup by the little light in the refrigerator door and then looked up, dropping her glass, but it never hit the floor. Bucky's swift reflexes propelled him out of the chair and he caught the glass with ease.

"Thanks" she said. He refilled it for her and threw some paper towels on the floor to absorb the water. He just smiled and sat at the little table in the kitchen, pulling her onto his lap. He needed to know she was there. He gently rubbed his cheek to hers, feeling the coolness of her face and the way her cheeks shifted when she smiled. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before stealing a few from her lips, wrapping his arms loosely around her.

"Am I interupting something?" Sam's voice came as the water dispenser in the refrigerator clicked on.

"I'd swear this was Grand Central not a kitchen" he muttered, setting Candace on the chair as he got up from under her. "Listen, you can't tell Steve. He'd hate to think I hid this from him, and I was planning on telling him soon anyways, I just wanted Candy to be here too, so you won't say anything will you?"

Sam grinned "Sure thing tin-man, if you stop calling me pigeon-head" he said, his grin broadening into a gleeful look of triumph.

"Fine bird brain" he said in an extorted agreement.

"Not that either"

"Nuh-uh, you can't add demands, besides, we'll tell Steve tomorrow, so unless you really want to be mean to Steve on his birthday, you wouldn't want to do that would you?" Sam gulped "then please don't say anything" she said smiling.

Sam shook his head "which one of you is the assassin again? this girl just goes low and don't play around at all!" he said staring at Candace in a new light. She had just played her cards perfect to win his silence, even if bringing up Steve's birthday was a bit of a cheap shot.

Bucky looked down at her, beaming with pride in her skills of manipulation. She had just won the field without raising a fist. And most important of all Steve's feelings had been spared.

"Well, I should let you get to bed, we have to tell Steve we're dating tomorrow, so big day" he teased.

"And it's kind of freedom's 97th birthday, so I might have to run a couple of grocery stores out of candles before we get enough" she said with a grin as they both chuckled.

"So, until morning" he said and cupping her face pressed a soft kiss to her lips before letting her leave his arms and go back to her room.

"That was a very long drink of water" Sharon said from the darkness when Candace came back to their room.

"More like a cool, handsome, and tall drink of water" she joked. The two girls giggled and then fell asleep, feeling like the two luckiest girls alive to have the men they did in their life.


	14. If I May

The fourth of July dawned and Sam was up before the others, making breakfast in the cramped little apartment. He hadn't been able to sleep too well on the couch and he wanted to do something to start Steve's day off on the right foot. He chuckled to himself thinking about the pair he had caught kissing in the kitchen the night before.

"Good morning" Sharon said coming in wearing a cute white top with a red cami under it and blue jeans.

"Hey y'all" Candace said coming in just a minute or so later, wearing her Captain America t-shirt with a red button down short sleeve unbuttoned over it with burgundy Converse All-Stars.

"I feel the patriotism surging" he said looking at the two girls. Steve came in, presumably from a run. Wearing a grey shirt and black running pants. Bucky entered at the same time, wearing his black jeans, with a Captain America shirt, and a black button down casually thrown over, unbuttoned. Sam looked between the two of them and shook his head, they just glared at him, letting him know his silence would be insured, even if it meant his death.

Steve went and showered up while the three others crowded in the kitchen making a great breakfast. Sharon went out and bought some fresh fruit to go with the unholy amount of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and other carbs that were filling the kitchen.

"Hey, we'll leave you to finish up bird brain" Bucky said, taking Candy's hand and escaping out of the kitchen before Sam could say anything.

He had seen how beautiful the mist filled street looked in the morning light and he just wanted to take her out in it for a walk.

Sam was actually appreciative of having room to move without running into the Winter Wall as Bucky seemed to be, filling the tiny kitchen.

He pulled her close, noticing their matching shirts and chuckling.

"So what did you get Steve for his birthday?" she asked, just wanting to hear his voice, she had missed it.

"Let's talk more about what I got you" he said and reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a little paper wrapped package tied up with a string. He handed it to her.

"Do you want me to open it now?" she asked looking up into those big blue eyes she adored. He nodded a little shyly.

She undid the string, handing it to him and then removed the paper carefully, without tearing it. She took out a small leather bound book with a rose embossed into the cover. She opened it and found page on page of Bucky's slanting cursive script, which was much more legible than his print. There were poems and letters and funny little notes all jumbled together in the pages.

"I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't, so I wrote all the things I wanted to say" he confessed blushing. She threw her arms around his neck, still clutching the book and the wrapping paper as they kissed. She dropped the paper as she pushed that hand into his hair as they kissed under a lamp post in the London fog. After a while he slowly, reluctantly, pulled away from her. He could have stood there and kissed her until next year. "So you like it?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"I love it. It just makes me feel bad I don't have anything to give you" she said looking to her feet. He sure knew how to go over the top when it came to making a girl feel like she was the most important thing on earth to him.

"Don't darling" he said giving her a sweet kiss on her nose. "Besides, I'd call that kiss some kind of return gift. I still can't think quite straight after it" he confessed, blushing as he threw his arm over her shoulders and took another turn around the little square. He knew danger was afoot, any day now General Ross might find them, or another showdown might occur. "There's something you could do" Bucky said, his words forming before he could think about what he was saying.

"What?"

"A storm is coming, and it might be the end, it might be a wonderful new beginning, but either way it goes, I know I can't live without you in my life. You're the realest and best thing I've ever had happen to me. Before or since becoming the Winter Soldier" he elaborated "and you could grant me the biggest favor a man can ask of a woman" he said looking down into her soft grey eyes "you could accept my offer of marriage" he said, realizing what he had just said, but not regretting a single word of it.

Candace looked startled "did you just propose?" she asked, not quite sure she had heard him right, her heart was pounding in her ears so loud at the mere idea that she wasn't sure she'd even be able to hear him when he repeated it.

"Yes" he said, taking a deep breath as he grabbed her hand and got on one knee in front of her "I don't have a ring, but I'm asking you to be my wife Candace Nicole Ross" he declared and then looked up at her through his bangs and dark lashes "please say yes" he said so nervous she could feel his hand shaking as he held hers.

"Get up here" she said pulling him, or rather tugging and him pulling himself up. He stood there in front of her. She pushed the loose strands out of his face "Bucky Barnes" she said his name softly "how could I say anything but yes" she said and then crashed her lips onto his. He held her close, dipping her into a kiss, his one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other ended up lifting her off the ground entirely. He separated and adjusted his arms, simply carrying her. "You just got yourself engaged" she teased him, kissing his cheek.

"I suppose I did" he said grinning and then setting her down as they came close to the apartment door. He looked at the door and saw Steve, Sam, and Sharon, who had returned while they walked, all gathered around the entrance grinning. They had apparently watched the entire event unfold. Steve couldn't stop congratulating Bucky for the next hour. It was hard to tell who was happier, the couple themselves or Steve.

"Actual best birthday present ever" Steve said, bordering on gushing.

"That wasn't our actual birthday presents to you" Candace clarified "in fact I feel bad kind of stealing the thunder from your day" she confessed.

"It's not like I haven't had a few of these things" he said pointing to the packages of candles on the table in preparation for decorating his cake with.

"Fine, but you're still accepting our actual gifts" she insisted.

"Very well" he said, they could have dropped a train full of Hydra soldiers lead by a resusitated from death Red Skull and Steve would have remained chipper he was having such a great day. His best friend had found the girl he wanted to marry, he had his own girl there, and his other best pal.

"I worked on this a little last night" Sam said handing Fury's suspiciously innocent birthday card to Cap. "There's a chip hidden in it, I figured I could finish tomorrow" he said "or if bug-boy would ever show up he could work it over with some of his tech" he said disgruntled.

"It's Ant-Man" he said materializing to normal size on Falcon's shoe. Scaring the wits out of all of them before they burst out laughing.

"Quite an entrance" Candace said after she recovered from the shock, Bucky still holding her protectively.

"Thank you" he said "who are you?" he asked.

"Candace Barnes" her face went so red she couldn't even speak for a minute "I mean Ross, Candace Ross" everyone else just looked at the blushing couple trying to hold back their snickers and giggles.

"Not Barnes yet" Bucky whispered and she just hid her face against him, not wanting to even think about how red her cheeks probably were. He chuckled and patted her back, unable to stop the soft chuckles from coming.

"Stop laughing" she said, her words muffled against his chest where she had her face hid.

"Never" he said and kissed her nose.

Sharon went into the kitchen, and Candace joined her, blocking the boys out while they worked on Steve's cake and the birthday dinner in general. The four guys hung out in the living room, arguing sports as a baseball game played.

"The Orioles are definitely going to make it this year" Scott demanded.

"What? Baltimore? Why do you even like them?" Sam accused.

"You're from Floriday" Bucky interjected.

"And that's where their spring practice is" he retorted "dad used to take me to the games."

"Fair enough" Steve said "but the Yankees will always be the best."

"True words" Bucky said toasting Steve with a bottle of beer.

"Everyone likes the Yankees though" Scott protested.

"At least these two kind of have a legitimate reason, I mean they got to see Babe Ruth play" Sam defended.

"And it was kind of in our backyard" Bucky interjected.

"What about you Sam?" Steve asked.

"I'm more of a basketball person honestly" he said, and immediately three pairs of hostile eyes were fastened onto him.

"Hey Sam" Candy said from the kitchen "if you want to seek shelter in the kitchen with us girls we'll accept refugees from the wrath of the baseball fanatics" she said laughing.

Bucky stood up "I'll make a Yankees fan of you yet" he said looking at her.

"You have to make me a baseball fan first" she said in a lilting, taunting voice as Sam bolted for the kitchen door and they shut it.

"You sure about your choice Buck?" Steve teased.

"No one can be perfect" he said with a smile that turned a little sentimental "though sports faults aside she's pretty damn close" he grinned and then realizing what he had just said resumed a neutral face and focused in on the baseball game.

"You're going to turn traitor" Steve accused. "I can see it now, a bunch of babies in Dallas Cowboys onesies, and not a Yankees shirt to be seen" he said in mock mourn.

"Give me some credit" Candace said popping in from the door "the Cowboys are awful, I'm a New York Giants fan, there, I like a New York team" she said defiantly crossing her arms and then shutting the kitchen door again.

"Redeemed?" Bucky querried smugly to Cap, who just nodded, shaking his head at how silly they were behaving that day. He knew these good times couldn't last forever, but he hoped they would last a little while longer.

When the men folk, aside from Sam who was still hiding from the others, came into the kitchen they were greeted by a cake decorated in the style of Cap's shield with a star in the center. Sam had the arduous job of putting 97 candles on the thing, which he was less than pleased about. Sharon, with Candace's help and expert cooking advice, had made grilled cheese appetizers, followed by steak and mashed potatoes with corn and peas. Though Bucky and Candy both substituted green beans for peas because peas were something like apple juice, you just stopped consuming it after you graduated elementary school.

Sam felt indignant, he still enjoyed his apple juice.

Time came for lighting the candles, which Scott took over while Steve opened presents. He came to Sam's first, it was a collection of newspapers and other cuttings of various events he had missed while being under. With a part at the back that was solely devoted to his career. He thanked his friend. Moving on he came to Sharon's which was a very practical shatterproof coffee cup. He looked at her.

"Well, when I was living across the hall you tried to ask me for coffee once remember, figured this would remind you that I'm always up for a cup with you" she said and kissed his cheek. He blushed deep red.

"Thanks hon" he said smiling. Next came Scott's which was an extra large frisbee case. They all cracked up.

"I figured you could hide your shield in it inconspicuously and pass it off as the most ultimate ultimate frisbee" he explained as he finished lighting the candles.

Candace's and Bucky's gifts lay on the table as the last ones left to be opened. He reached for hers first, saving Buck's for last.

Candace's box was large and shallow. He unwrapped it and uncovered a very unique chess and checkers set, made of exotic looking wood.

"The second part is from T'Challa" she explained as he dug through the light blue tissue paper, coming across something hard and metal with his hand. He pushed the papers aside and found the familiar feel of metal touch his fingers. He pulled out a new vibranium shield. This one was designed slightly different, with a red star at the center and blue and white stripes coming out from it. The star reminded him of the one on Bucky's metal arm, which was somewhere in the apartment in case of emergency.

"Feels good to have one again" he said hefting it on his arm.

"I think T'Challa might have just outclassed the rest of us a little" Sharon said with a half smile.

"Nonsense, the coffee cup will get more use I hope" Steve said reaching for Bucky's present.

He opened up the simple box and found inside a complete set of artists pencils and an empty sketchbook filled with large sheafs bound with stitched binding. A modest selection of watercolors were also there.

"I remember how good you always were at artist stuff, thought you might like to get back into it" he suggested, suddenly feeling embarrassed about it. All the other gifts, except maybe Scott's had been way cooler and more unique, or at least significant.

"This is great" Steve said a little overwhelmed "I can stop using the backs of envelopes and No. 2's to doodle now" he chuckled. "Thanks Buck."

"Time to blow out the candles" Sharon said gesturing to the cake. Steve looked at the miniature conflagration in front of him and then with a smile gave a strong exhale, exstinguishing over half of them. After half a minute of sputtering all the candles were out. Obligatory applause occurred while Sharon hoped that Steve's wish had been the same as hers, which was for peace and sanity to reign again and the fugitive Avengers to be able to move free again.


	15. Let There Be Love

July sixth dawned and all but Sharon were still there. Candy had insisted she take the couch after Steve's girlfriend left. Freeing up an extra bed which Falcon took. Scott just slept in the same room as Bucky with blankets on the floor. Or rather the room Bucky was supposed to be sleeping in. For when Steve got up for his run on the morning of the sixth he found Bucky cramped up on the small couch, his arms around Candace. He looked at the curiously with a faint smile and Bucky, who had been awake for hours but not wanting to disturb Candace, remained still but gestured for Steve to be quiet.

While Steve was out jogging the square that the small apartment faced onto a loud voice came from a bullhorn.

"Captain Rogers, remain still. Do not attempt to avoid arrest" it demanded. Bucky lept off the couch and grabbed Steve's new shield before Candace's eyes had even opened. He went to the door and flung the shield so it would ricochet into Steve's arm. The super soldier grabbed it from the air and steeled himself for an assault, meanwhile as armed men came towards the apartment Bucky put on his old metal arm and shouted for Sam and Scott to wake up. He gave Candace a long look before disappearing out of the front door to go to Steve's side.

Sam went out the door, strapping on his tech and deploying Red Wing.

"I was just going to come out here and tell them I decrypted Fury's birthday card" Scott said.

"I think you need to suit up" Candace said. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do. She went to Bucky's room and grabbed one of the guns he hadn't taken with him. She was better with a rifle on a hunt than a handgun, but she was going to take what she could find at this point in time, and that was a Glock.

Scott hastily put on his Ant-Man outfit and rushed out to join the others.

"What the hell?" Bucky said seeing him. "You guys left Candy by herself?" he said horrified at their neglect.

"I'll get her out of there" Sam said flying back to the door and grabbing Candace. He took her to where the others were, lined up facing men in black with guns.

"You were supposed to get her out of here all together, not bring her up to where the danger was" Bucky said, resisting the urge to throttle Sam senseless with his metal arm. Candace just came and stood beside Bucky, he moved himself most of the way in front of her, reaching back to take her hand in order to comfort her, but instead his metal fingers found the touch of the gun she'd grabbed. He looked over his shoulder at her. He didn't want her to have to become a warrior. For the first time since meeting her, he regretted her. Not for any fault, but for what getting involved with him would make her. He loathed the idea of her having to shoot someone. He'd make sure she didn't have to, whatever the peril. She put her other hand in his, smiling at him before he turned his attention back to the line of men who were going to try and take them in.

General Ross came forward out of the mist.

"You are all wanted men, I suggest you come peacefully"

"Why? so you can lock us in a cage again?" Sam asked "Don't you know, caged birds don't sing"

"Very nice, but you're all under arrest" he said, his eyes honing in on his brother's daughter standing beside the Winter Soldier. "You've operated far too long without order or restriction and if you can't agree to abide by the rules then-"

"What was that you were saying about abiding by the rules?" came a sarcasm laden voice while a suit of red and gold came flying onto the scene.

"Stark, this is crossing the line. You want to be arrested with the rest of them, then fine" Ross said angrily.

"Really? Because I thought if anyone was going to be getting arrested today it wouldn't be Captain perfect-teeth and his band of misfits. Happy Birthday by the way Cap" he said looking over at the small band lined up, inside his helmet his face was a little surprised at seeing Candace there. "I would think it would be the man who aided the wanted son of a Hydra leader, the guy who planned the Accords, which, by the way, have just been suspended until further notice due to suspicions about their true purpose and the integrity of those that put them forward" Tony said snarkily.

"That includes yourself Stark" Ross accused.

"I know, but since when was integrity something people associated with me to begin with" Tony said with a verbal shrug.

"Just arrest them" Ross demanded to the agents that stood watching the faceoff.

"But you're forgetting" Tony said "that they're guilty of nothing now that the Accords have been suspended."

"And on whose influence have they been temporarily suspended?"

"On mine" came T'Challa's rich voice as he showed up atop a car in his Black Panther garb.

"Your highness" Ross said angrily "your father died for them."

"Yes, he died for something he thought would bring peace, but instead was used for further war and bloodshed. I have seen the man behind the Accords, my father would have been ashamed had he known who you were truly working with General Ross."

"Which brings me back to the second bullet point for the day" Tony said cheekily "you guys with the guns over there. Arrest General Ross" he said as he threw a holographic display in front of them showing a warrant for him with crimes suspected listing collusion with Nazis, forgery, false information, and the unlawful imprisonment of innocents.

The men hesitated, but followed Tony's orders. After all, going after Captain America just felt wrong to begin with. Ross's bullhorn was taken from him and his hands were cuffed. Tony landed and walked over to Cap's team, taking off his helmet.

"Take it easy Capsicle, you and the others are free"

"For how long" Steve asked, still suspicious.

"For a while, government paperwork takes a while, and Ross' arrest will be sure to shake things up. It might just be the end of the Accords"

"You strangely don't sound upset by that" Candace said.

"Ah, Texas" he said looking at her "nice to see you" He didn't want to admit he was wrong and say they were a bad idea.

"She's right, did you change your mind?" Steve demanded.

"What if I did?" Tony said nonchalantly, but in his eyes there was a silent plea for Cap not to press and further his humbling.

"So we're good?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, what part of free to go are you not getting tweety-bird" he said flashing a grin to Sam.

"Does that mean all of us?" Steve asked, his eyes flicking from Steve to where Bucky stood.

Tony was silent. He still couldn't look at the Winter Soldier for too long, even after thinking about how Candace had put things, and how scarred the man was by wrongs committed with his hands but without his consent. He had watched footage of him beating his father and strangling his mother, it wasn't something one could rationalize easily. Stark went over to where Bucky stood, everyone else moving away except Candace, whose hand was still tucked into his metal one. Tony saw it, and he saw how a man who had been made a monster had seemed to have gleaned the affection of a strong, principled and intelligent woman. He realized that while he was not bound to like Bucky, he was obliged to forgive him, because he wasn't forgiving the Winter Soldier. He was forgiving Bucky Barnes, the poor boy who had been found half frozen and had his brain taken out, played with, and stuffed back in. Just like Clint had by Loki he thought as he took off the part of armour from around his right hand. He could no more blame Bucky for the deaths he caused, than he could Clint for those that had occurred before Natasha had snapped him back out of it. He reached his hand out to the forlorn soldier, and Bucky took it, shaking it and then Tony moved on, not wanting to look too sentimental or anything.

"So, party in LA in say 14 hours?" he said. "I'll give Clint and Wanda a call."

"One call will do, Wanda is staying with him and his family" Scott said.

"Good, glad she wasn't alone. Vision will be glad too" he said. The red-faced being had been having an existential crisis that had not been aided by the fact that he had no idea whether Wanda was living or dead.

"Nat, think you can bring the plane in" he said and not but a few seconds later, a Stark stealth craft came in, piloted by the Black Widow.

"Not gonna lie" Candace confessed "I've always kind of wanted to meet her since the whole New York thing" Bucky just looked down at her and smiled. Sighing in relief as he put his arm loosely around Candy's waist. He was so glad this hadn't ended in a fight. He took the gun from her as they sat down on the plane that would take them back to the states. "I pray you never have to touch one again" he said pressing a kiss to her temple, his arm still protectively around her.

"Well, I do like to go hunting with my dad" she said.

"You know what I meant" he said shaking his head.

"I do" she leant her head on his chest. Bucky had no one to make joyful reunitions with, he had had Steve and Candy this whole time.

"I'll get Sharon on the line" Stark said, coming up from the back of the craft in a suit of cloth rather than of iron. "Sure you'd enjoy the party better that way" Tony gave Steve a mischevious glance that made Steve look intently out of the window.

As Stark sat in the cockpit with Natasha Bucky came forward, kind of startling them. He had that effect.

"Mr Stark" he said "I don't know how long this freedom we've received today will last. But I have a question."

"Shoot tin-man" he said looking up into the sad eyes of the Winter Soldier "not literally though" he added with a grin. He vividly remembered the man nearly shooting him in the face.

"If the Accords are abolished, would there be room on the Avengers' team for me. I need a job of some kind, and I'm not sure what else I'm fit for, other than battle" he said with a melancholy voice. He looked over at Candy talking with Sam and Scott, laughing and cutting up with the guys. She was relaxed around almost anyone, which was probably why she had never been afraid of him.

"You'd have to take that up with Steve, he's in charge" he said passing the buck onto Rogers. Stark noticed Bucky's gaze. "Got a reason for wanting to join?"

"It's the right thing to do" he said returning his gaze to the billionaire "and I need to do something to make up for my past" he threw another look at Candace "and I've got to find money for a ring somewhere" he said ruefully.

Stark's eyes widened. "Candace?" he asked though it was obvious.

"Yes" he said quietly.

"Hope she says the same" he grinned.

"She already did, two days ago" he smiled softly, more to himself than anyone else around.

Stark did the math "Cap's birthday?"

He nodded.

"Nice timing, bet it made the old man's day" he chuckled.

"He was pretty happy about it" Bucky added with a small chuckle of his own before turning and going back to Candace's side.

Tony sat in thought. He hoped the Accords were either ammended or abolished so he could have a chance, as Bucky had put it about his own sins, to make it up. He had hurt everyone on this plane. Those closest to him, and those closest to his friends as well, all of them had been betrayed, imprisoned or hunted because of him and his pushing for the Accords.

Rhodey had been wrong, they hadn't been worth any of it. The fight, the schism in the Avengers, the pain he had put others through. He watched as Bucky sat with Candace curled into his side, the pair smiling. Candace's open face beaming while the broken soldier's face was lit with a soft glow of love. He looked away, sappy thoughts were not something he liked to dwell on. Marriage and long term committments were not his turf, but it seemed it sure was Bucky's. He did the math and calculated that even counting the time they had been seperated while she remained in Wakanda, they hadn't even known each other six months. That was the last great generation's way of things, find love and cling to it, and fight to keep it alive for the rest of your lives.


	16. Too Young

Things were tense at first, the peace between those that had sided with the Accords and Cap's crew, but over the next week or so, the fugitives stopped walking around the others suspecting a trap. Rhodey, still recovering from his injuries conceeded that while the Accords were a good idea in theory, they hadn't worked out as well as something like that should have. Probably becaue Ross and Zemo had been working together, feeding information and crisis, like another head of Hydra.

A month had passed and they were all gathered around in the living room, relaxing after dinner. Bucky was weirdly absent from Candace's side, a place he found comfort and felt less tense. He was not used to living a life in the open, around others. He had hunted or been hunted ever since the fall, Candace was his safe place and she felt like home with just a touch. He couldn't wait until the day they said 'I do' and come what may they could face it together. The mending soldier came into the living area and took his spot beside his fiancee.

While the others were distracted he reached over and took her hand, putting a white gold ring with a diamond set with a ruby on each side on her finger. She looked up and smiled, not caring how he had gotten the money to buy the ring for her. He pulled her close, kissing her ardently, not realizing that everyone else was now silent and no longer paying attention to other things. Their eyes were wide. Other than the innocent cuddling close together Bucky and Candy kept the public displays to a minimum and here they sat, his hand on her knee while hers rested on his face, the brilliant ring catching the light.

"You can let her breathe now Bucks" Tony teased as the two seperated with alacrity and stuck to holding hands and both blushing deep red.

"Nice ring" Natasha commented. Not that she and Sharon had helped the clueless ex-assassin pick it out or anything.

"Thanks" she said oblivious to the knowing smile Nat and Sharon were sharing because all she could think of was the smile she was wearing and the dopey but adorable one Bucky had that was making her giddy to her toes.

"To the happy couple" Tony said, already tipsy.

Everyone joined in and toasted them with all their heart.

"So" Sharon said "you two set a date yet?"

Candy looked thoughtful for a moment. "First Sunday in September?" she said looking to her fiance for his approval.

"So soon?" Natasha questioned.

"Whenever we have it" Bucky said looking down into his love's clear grey eyes "it can't be soon enough." He had no problems respecting Candy's standards, he knew they were right and didn't think them antique like the guys of her own era, but he couldn't lie that somedays he just wanted to just pick her up and carry her to his room and make sweet love to her til morning. But he knew it was right to wait, so he didn't even try and push the boundaries she had set up, because her boundaries had become his.

"He's right" Candy said. "Why wait? We're in love, we're never going to come out of it. And we still don't know what will happen with the Accords, so better to get married while we still can before things change and we have to go on the run again."

"Don't worry Candy" Tony said "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"You can only do so much Stark" she smiled sadly. They were all happy now, but who knew where they would be two months from now. She simply knew she would be wherever Bucky was.

"Oh hell" Bucky said, suddenly realizing that amongst the chaos of coming back into the states he had overlooked a pretty crucial step in getting engaged.

"What is it?" they all asked in concern as the Winter Soldier struck his head in annoyance at his own stupidity.

"I still haven't asked your dad" he said looking at Candy. The couple looked at each other in mortification. The others just had silent emotions at how adorably considerate and old fashioned Bucky was being.

"I'm sure he'll say yes" Candace said with uncertainty. Dad's were tricky creatures where their little girls were concerned.

"Sounds like you two need a trip out to Texas to get some talking done" Tony said looking over at them. "I can set you up with one of the planes or a chopper" he offered "I know tin-man there knows how to pilot one, unlike the faithful capsicle" he shook his head "still can't believe you crashed a plane in the artic."

"Good thing I was dead at the time, I'd have jumped down there and personally kicked your ass Steve" Bucky threatened. "And yes, we do need to go to Texas if you don't mind us borrowing one of your crafts to get out there."

"Hey" Steve protested "I've learned how to fly since then."

They all chuckled.

Two days later Bucky and Candy were on a small plane headed to Dallas. Both of them strangely quiet, very nervous about the upcoming interview with her father.

They landed at a private airstrip, that Candace made a point not to mention belonged to her mother's family. Bucky knew her mom came from oil money backgrounds, but for a guy who didn't even have a regular job at the moment, she didn't want to make him too aware of the level of luxury she had grown up with. Not that her parents had indulged all of her whims or she had been too spoilt, but she had always had nice things. But she was willing to trade all that in a blink for the man beside her and the ring on her finger.

They got the car that was waiting for them and drove, half-way to the house outside of the city where her parents lived, they passed a massive convenience store.

"Don't mind if we take a pit stop?" she asked pulling in the parking lot. "I need to use the little girls room and get something to drink" she explained as she got out. He went inside too because as soon as the car turned off the temperature rose about twenty degrees without the AC. He went inside and saw a large beaver or squirrel or some sort of cartoonish creature that reminded him of the cartoons they used to play at the beginning of movies back when he was growing up. Below the caricature was a name "Buc-ee's" his face went to one of amused exasperation. Candace came out of the restroom and found him standing there, staring at the sign with his arms crossed.

"Really?" he said looking from her to the sign. She looked up and smiled. "I thought I was scary and intimidating walking the streets of Bucharest when I met you" he said shaking his head "and you compared me to a store with a freaking Beaver mascot?" he put his arm around her shoulder shaking his head. "Guess I wasn't that scary back then" he chuckled.

"Not to me at least" she said giggling. The more she looked at the chipper smiling beaver mascot of the Buc-ee's convenience store the more she laughed. She couldn't stop. Bucky just shook his head.

"Behave" he teased taking her over to the cold case and picking out two ice cream bars for them. She grabbed a Dr Pepper and he found an RC and after ringing up their stuff they headed out back onto the highway.

They drove for about an hour, finally getting out into a more rural area. The buildings became less and the long fields with cattle grazing became the dominant feature of the landscape. They came to a gate of black wrought iron with two large stone posts holding it. She keyed in the code and they drove in. Bucky knew her family had money, he also knew she was careful to downplay it to spare his sensitivities. Even before being made into the Winter Soldier he had never had a lot of money. His family had had a moderate income, his dad had worked as a salesman for a company that made fasteners, but Candy's family was made of medical and oil money, bit more lucrative than staples.

They parked in the large concrete area in front of the two story spread out house. Bucky noticed the basketball hoop that stood, with torn and deteriorating net at the edge of the parking area.

"Yours?" he asked.

She smiled "yeah."

He got out and opened her door for her, shutting it after she had gotten out.

"Is that my baby girl?" came a high heavily accented feminine voice as a woman who could be nothing other than Candace's mother came sailing out of the front door and threw her arms around her child. The two women hugged each other tightly.

"Momma" Candace said softly.

"Yes" she replied, letting go of her daughter.

"I'd like you to meet, my uh" she paused, it felt strange introducing someone so familiar to her as a stranger to her mother "my boyfriend, Bucky."

"Hey hon!" she said and hugged Bucky, catching him off guard but he returned the friendly gesture. "Nice to finally meet you. Candace has told me a bit about you, and Richard too. Well don't just stand out here in the heat, I'm about to wilt, let's get inside."

"Is there any tea mom?" she asked.

Candace's mother turned and narrowed her eyes at her daughter "I'll leave you out in the heat for questions like that, of course there's sweet tea" she said giving her daughter a playful light hit upside the back of her head as she ushered the couple in.

"Is dad still at the office?" she asked.

Her mom nodded as she poured three glasses of tea. Christine Ross was tall and slim and Bucky could see that while his fiancee had her father's eyes she had inherited a lot of features from her mother too. He thanked her for the glass of tea and then took a swallow, his face crinkling at how sweet it was. He set it down, forcing a polite smile that Mrs Ross saw straight through.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you were a yankee. I can get you something else" she offered kindly.

"Got any orange juice mom?" Candy asked, knowing that Bucky was strangely fond of the breakfast beverage at any time of day.

"Sure thing" she said getting a container of frozen concentrate out of the freezer and preparing to make it up. Candace got up and got the water, grabbing a spoon and stealing a spoonful of the frozen concentrate before her mom playfully hit her hand with the stirring spatula. "Hands off" she chastized.

"Fine" she said sitting back down on the bar stool beside Bucky's.

"So that's a nice ring you have Candy?" her mom said archly "where did you get it?"

"Honey, I'm home" came the familiar voice of Richard Ross, interupting the pointed question his wife had posed.

"Daddy" Candace said rushing to her dad and giving him a hug. He came in, setting his briefcase down and then going to Bucky shook the man's hand.

After an hour or so of talk supper was ready and they all sat down.

"I've got a surprise for you" her dad said grinning.

"What is it?" Candace asked as she picked up the dishes. She felt a pair of arms hug her from behind and then proceed to tickle her. She nearly dropped the dishes but Bucky with his fast reflexes caught them. Candace tried to escape. She knew it was her baby brother Bobby. "Stawp!" she cried out, giggling as he tickled her. She at last escaped and hid behind Bucky. "See, I've got a boyfriend now, you can't pick on your big sister anymore!" she said defiantly from behind his bicep.

Bobby looked up at the tall figure that stood there. So this was the guy who his sister gushed about on phone calls. He had expected someone smaller and more nerdy looking. This guy looked like he could bench press twice his own weight.

"Well you're no fun" Bobby sulked but grinning nonetheless.

"I'm Bucky" he said putting his hand out to his fiancee's little brother.

"Nice to meet ya, Bobby Ross" he said shaking the offered hand. Candace took the dishes but brought Bobby a plate of the leftovers.

As Bobby ate and Candace and her mom cleaned up and caught up Bucky went very quietly over to Dr Ross.

"Can I talk to you Mr Ross" he asked shyly.

"Of course Bucky" he said getting up from the table and going into the game room. He had had a long day at work, but he could find the patience for hearing Bucky discuss his current state if that's what the tormented man felt he needed.

Bucky shut the door after they entered.

"What's on your mind?" he asked sitting down in the easy chair by the pool table.

"This is a nice room" he said unable to quite find the courage just then. He proceeded to play with the hem on his shirt, trying to focus. Dr. Ross just nodded. "I have a question for you" he said hastily.

"Yes" Richard said, slightly impatient to hear what was troubling Bucky.

"It's Candace" he began "I" and with those words Richard knew this was not about Bucky's mental troubles "I want to marry her. Or rather I want your permission" he said feeling like a child caught stealing candy.

"So" he let the word hang there for a long moment "you're asking me if you can marry my only daughter?" he inquired.

"Yes, sir" Bucky swallowed hard.

"Have you asked her already?"

"Yes. I know I should have asked you first" he apologized "but I wasn't even planning on asking her when I did. I mean I've known almost since the beginning that if I could share my life with someone it'd be Candy."

Richard nodded. "I presume she said yes" Bucky nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You two haven't known each other very long" Richard pointed out.

"I know, but I know she's the right one for me. No one, not even back before they made me the Winter Soldier ever felt so right. She's everything I ever wanted in a wife and more. I couldn't picture my life without her in it now that I've met her and I will never be unfaithful and always be there when she needs me and look out for her. She's the most important thing on this earth to me" he said sincerely. He hoped his words would persuade her dad to give his consent.

"Have the two of you prayed about this?"

It was a peculiar question, but not unwarranted.

"I have, and knowing how seriously she takes her faith, I would bet she has too."

He nodded smiling a little "well then Bucky Barnes, you have my blessing." Richard could almost swear he saw the brooding soldier do a little bounce of joy at his blessing.

"Can you send Candy in" he said "alone" he added.

Candace went in, talked to her dad for a long time. While Bucky sat a little nervous, trying to get to know the scrawny little twenty year old that would be his brother-in-law. When she came out she was in tears but she had a sentimental smile that lit her face.

"What's wrong with you?" Bobby asked looking up from his dessert.

"Nothing" she said and then went up to Bucky who stood up and pulled her close in his arms.

"Everything alright?" he asked softly. She nodded.

"Honey" Dr Ross said coming out of the game room "I think we need to open some champagne for the occasion."

"What occasion?" Bobby asked.

"Your sisters engagement of course" Christine said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Bobby choked on the brownie in his mouth and quickly swallowed some milk to get it down.

"What sis?" he asked looking at his older sister. He had just met this guy, and while he was cool and all, Candace was his sister. She walked over and dangled the ring in front of her thickwitted brother's nose. "When?"

"July 4th" she said.

"Independence Day?"

"Steve's birthday, but yes, Independence day too" she said smiling.

"When you say Steve, you don't mean, the Steve, like Steve Rogers?" her mom asked. She nodded.

"You know your grandfather had a big collection of the comic books that came out with him in World War Two. Him and his fighting Commandos. He'd show them off to me and Charlie when we were kids" she said sentimentally.

"Mom, did you not get it when I said I was dating Bucky Barnes, I mean THE Bucky Barnes. As in Captain America's best friend"

"Yes, but I didn't think about it like that. I knew it but I didn't know it, you know what I mean?" she said with a chuckle. They all chuckled along with her. That sentence had been confusing but made perfect sense.

Over the next week Bucky and Candace spent time with her family and began wedding plans. They had just two months to plan a wedding, not the most time in the world, but fortunately for them extra money can speed almost anything up and by the time they went back out to LA to talk with the others and ask some of them to be groomsmen or bridesmaids there was already a venue. Candace's church. And catering was in the works. Candace's mom agreed to fly out to LA to go dress shopping with her and Sharon and to bring some of Candy's college friends out too. A summer vacation to help plan a September wedding.


	17. Unforgettable

The wedding was less than a month away and the mayhem and chaos of planning was intense. Wanda had finally come to the Avengers compound, having bad memories and not certain if Vision would forgive her. Steve had had an idea, which he had discussed with Mr Ross while he had visited them in late July. An idea to finally cleanse Bucky's head of the conditioning that had been worked on him. Something that could make him safe for the rest of his life. Even if someone found the book that Zemo had used to unleash the Winter Soldier. Steve wanted Bucky to be free and Wanda might be the key, but first he felt that he needed to sit down with Candace and Bucky and discuss the issue.

At the Avengers compound Bucky and Candy were looking at cake designs. Or rather Candace was and Bucky was just nodding playing with the loose curls that fell over her shoulders. He knew he wasn't whole yet, but he felt much closer to wholeness with her around.

"Hey you two" Steve said coming in.

"Hey" Candy said looking up.

"I had something I needed to ask you two about."

"What's that?" Bucky said leaning forward and leaving Candy's curly hair alone.

"I talked to Dr. Ross and me and him had an idea, just to be certain in case the red book comes into the wrong hands again" Bucky tensed up. "It might be risky but we thought potentially with Wanda's powers she could take out the conditioning, the words, she could take some of the memories too" he elaborated.

"No" Bucky said "not those memories. I remember why I fight to do what's right because of them. They haunt me and maybe that's a good thing, it reminds me what I was and never want to become again. But if Wanda would be willing to pull the conditioning out of my head, that'd be more than enough."

"Alright" Steve said.

"Is it dangerous?" Candy asked.

"It could me, Wanda has a pretty complete control of her powers, but there's always human error" Steve said honestly. Candace frowned and looked at her beloved. Those big sad blue eyes looking back into hers.

"If I were having surgery on my heart to save my life, would you object because the surgeon might make a mistake?" Bucky asked sensing her doubt.

She was silent and then reluctantly shook her head.

"It's the same with this. There's a chance something could go wrong, but it's just a chance. I can't let fear hold me back, there's too many things I fear, but the biggest one would go away if I had that stuff out of my head. I wouldn't fear someone coming and bending me to their will with those words. I would never have to fear hurting you, because I'd never lose myself to the things they put in my head." She nodded "I have to at least try" he said pleading in his voice.

"Alright" she said and kissed his cheek.

The next day Steve asked Wanda if she would.

"He trusts me that much?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. And so do I, and so does Candace."

"Because that's not adding the pressure on this at all" she joked faintheartedly.

"No, because we all believe in you. We believe you are Bucky's best hope, and whatever happens you'll know you tried to do the right thing, and I have no doubt you'll succeed. You've gotten a better control over your powers since before we went on the run."

"Clint" she explained "he taught me how to focus, and being with his family took away some of the bitterness that would cloud my head."

"Good" he said putting his hand on her shoulders. "So will you do it?"

"How could I do otherwise? Captain America needs my help" she teased.

"Thanks Wanda" he said with a grin.

Two days passed in which Wanda prepared herself, trying to convince herself that she would be able to do this. To help this poor haunted man be whole once more.

For some reason, Bucky picked the kitchen as the best spot. Candace made breakfast, nearly burning the french toast because she was too busy looking at Bucky, not knowing if an hour from now he'd even recognize her. The whole thing could go terribly wrong. After they cleaned up the breakfast dishes he sat at the table. Wanda readied herself to enter into his brain, it wasn't something she liked doing to people after she had joined the Avengers. She had seen how wrong it was to abuse such powers. Bucky reached out and took Candy's hand in his. He was a little nervous, but not as nervous as he knew she was.

"Ready?" Scarlet Witch asked.

"Ready" he replied.

She closed her eyes and reached out with her telepathic powers, going into Bucky's mind. It was a mix of light and dark. There was so much pain, it staggered her for a moment.

"You're going to have to open your mind" she said, her eyes still closed. "I don't want to force it out of you, it might scar your memories" she explained.

Bucky complied. Breathing deeply and letting her see the parts of his brain that he didn't like to think about. The darkness of being the Winter Soldier. The cold and lonely life he had lead. Wanda wanted to cry for the pain that this poor man had endured. Pain that dwarfed her loss of her family. At least she could clearly remember them, Bucky's family was just a distant blur to him. She found the darkest part of his mind, reading the words that had been used to condition him and the thoughts they connected to. She reached out with her powers, pulling those words together and rewiring the associations. Furnace was moved to have thoughts of the little space heaters that his family had kept the house warm with in the cold New York winters. Wanda tied those two thoughts together, letting the brainwashed association drift away into the wastes of the brain. That part that was never accessed or used and couldn't be recalled. The place where memories went to die. Benign was moved to link with Captain America, and associate with his friendship. Rusted came to go with old railroad yards and squeaking wheels. Wanda smiled as she pulled one and attached it to the absurdly catchy song "one is the loneliest number". Daybreak was moved to trigger memories of the dawn over Wakanda. Nine lost it's Hydra association and became linked with distant memories of his ninth birthday, the first birthday that Bucky had after making friends with Steve. Longing hardly needed a new association for as soon as Wanda's mind grabbed the word thoughts of Candace swarmed around it in Bucky's mind. Seventeen went with memories of that age, trips to Coney Island and Yankees games were linked to it now. Homecoming went with high school dances as it always should have done before Hydra twisted it, trying to convince Bucky that they were his home. Freight Car. Wanda struggled, she didn't want to tamper with his memory of his death, that was too important a thing to alter, but she carefully moved it where it was just the memory of Steve's concerned face and cry of "Bucky" as he fell, trimming the Hydra brainwashing associations.

Wanda gently removed herself from his mind. Both of them looked a little exhausted by the procedure.

"How do you feel?" Candace asked. He was silent "Bucky" she said her voice full of duress and concern.

"Candy" he said looking at her and smiling a wide and warm smile, his blue eyes free of that hunted look they had always carried. He held her close, giving her a quick kiss and a cheeky grin. "Thank you Wanda" he said getting up and giving the lonely girl a hug.

She still felt uncertain.

"Would you like me to repeat the words, just to be sure" she asked "would that be okay?" she was nervous.

"Sure" Bucky said, he felt no fear about those words anymore.

She spoke them and wholesome memories came to mind. Memories, some of which, had long been buried in the recesses of his mind but she had pulled them forwards. He grinned when she said seventeen. It had been a great age and a great time to be that age. Freight Car came and his face went somber.

"Is it still there?" Wanda asked.

"No" he said "I just never had thought about it before, about how much Steve suffered because of that fall" he stated sadly. "The man is level 90 at guilt tripping himself. I know he probably went and blamed himself for it, he couldn't have done anything about it though" he said. "And if I hadn't fallen and Hydra hadn't captured me then I wouldn't have been frozen and lived to be in this time and found you" he said turning to Candace.

"Or have been around to keep the ridiculously attractive old guys club alive with Steve" Candace joked.

"C'mere you" he said pulling her to her feet and giving her a confident smile before kissing her, Wanda making her exit, feeling more able to control her powers and glad that she had helped such a broken soul.

"How did it go?" Steve asked, Wanda just looked over her shoulder back into the kitchen where Bucky had Candace fast in his arms, kissing her for all he was worth. Steve chuckled, his cheeks blooming with a faint blush as he came and shut the door to the kitchen, giving the two their moment. After a half hour or so the couple came out of the kitchen hand in hand with flushed faces and hair a bit messier than it was when they went into the kitchen.

Candace couldn't keep her eyes off Bucky. He looked so alive and after their little impromptu kiss-a-thon she could tell he certainly felt alive too. His eyes were bright, free of fear. He had overcome, with her dad's help, with her help, and finally with Wanda's little rewire of his brain. He looked down at the woman he was going to marry, the one he'd raise kids with and he finally felt whole, he finally felt worthy of her. She had loved him when he was broken. Loved him when he was a failed shell of a man with no hope. He was seperated from her as Steve and the others hugged and jostled him around, but it was fine, he didn't have to look to know she was there, just like she had always been and always would be.

He found her, smiling by herself at the edge of the room. Hours later, after lunch he came to her in the kitchen and leaned his elbows on the counter watching her move around the kitchen like putting the dishes away was a dance.

"Candy" he said smiling at her, his smile showing in his eyes now.

"Mhm" she said pausing mid-step.

"I'll finish up" and taking the towel from her he proceeded to dry. "Oh, and one more thing. Put on a nice dress, go buy one if you need to, because I'm going to take you out properly tonight. Something I'm sorry I haven't done sooner. Can you forgive me?" he asked. He felt so bad for keeping her in like some selfish ogre, but the truth had been he had been too scared or hunted to be able to go out. Now, with the ammendments to the Accords pending and his head finally back on straight he could take her out on the town at last.

Candace felt a small thrill every time she heard the confidence in Bucky's voice. He had changed, but not into a different person, just the real Bucky that had been masked with guilt, hurt, and fear. She felt giddy, unable to find an outfit and having to take an emergency shopping trip which Natasha invited herself to, and of course Sharon was asked and then Wanda was recruited too.

They went to an upscale dress store and the four girls all went in, Sharon giving her tips but wandering off to shop for herself too. Wanda felt a little awkward doing something that normal people did, like girls out shopping. After the initial strangeness however she adapted and her and Natasha proceeded to shove dress after dress at Candace.

"No" she said glaring at Natasha who had picked an absurdly short red dress that was just tiny.

"Come on! live wild, do something crazy" Natasha joked.

"No thanks."

"What about this?" Wanda suggested, catching onto Nat's humour and pulling out a black and red almost steampunk barmaid looking outfit.

"Sharon!" Candace called out.

"Yeah" she said coming around to where they were as Natasha pushed a short strapless black dress at Bucky's girl.

"Save me! they're trying to make me look like a gothic hooker!" she protested, making all of them burst out into laughter.

"What about this?" Sharon suggested pulling a loose flowy skirted pink dress but Candace had her eye on a dress that she had seen when Wanda moved to the side. She pulled the light robin's egg blue pencil dress off of the rack. It had a broad v-neck collar to it and a deep plum sash for a splash of colour.

"This one" she said smiling as she looked it over, taking it and a few others for giggles to the dressing room. Just to humour the girls she tried on the dresses they had pushed at her. They took pictures, what she didn't know was that they were sending them, all but the one that she chose, to Bucky.

Bucky's phone kept going off as he sat on the couch researching places to take her and getting Tony's advice. Every time he picked up his phone his cheeks went a new shade of red. Finally, Tony seized Bucky's phone.

"No!" he protested, almost squealing. Tony opened the text from Natasha that had Candy laughing, covering her blushing face in a tiny black dress that hugged everything, with a silver studded belt.

"Damn" he said under his breath, but Bucky caught it and threw him a glare "I mean go you tin-man. She's one fine woman" he complimented. He wasn't good at polite or appropriate compliments. Bucky just took his phone back, looked at the picture and grinned ear to ear. "Calm down there" Tony jabbed.

At long last the two groups were finished. Bucky had picked a destination, or rather three places to take her for the evening, and Candace had a dress. The girls smuggled her back into the compound and helped her do her hair and makeup. She picked out a nice necklace that complimented her dress and silver and diamond earrings to go with her silver heels. She leant over and put on her vintage red lipstick as the final touch, the cherry on top so to speak.

"I'll go recon with the guys and see where they're at" Natasha said getting up and going out the door to see Bucky in the living room in a nice pair of black slacks with a light blue button-down shirt and a sports coat, no tie, it seemed too formal for their evening. "Your lady awaits" she teased, quoting Beauty and the Beast.

"Go get 'em tiger" Tony cracked.

"Have a good time" Steve said clapping his buddy on the shoulder. Wanda opened the door to leave, and Bucky strained to see what dress his sweetheart had picked out. Sharon came out and then just behind her was Candy with a white clutch purse, but that was one thing that Bucky didn't even notice. She was stunning. The knee length dress was so much more her than the goofy risque dresses that she had modeled in the pictures that Natasha had sent. The light blue made her eyes shine like the silver of her earrings and shoes. He was speechless, his mouth suddenly dry. He recovered and flashed her a winning smile. She felt the butterflies in her stomach all simultaneously come out of their chrysallis' and swarm inside of her. He came forward and took her arm.

"See y'all" she said as the others said bye and wished them a good evening.

"I like the dress you chose" Bucky said helping her into a car that Stark had lent him for the evening. Candy knew cars because of her dad, and her jaw fell a little at the sleek black Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider. She took a deep breath as she situated herself in the seat and Bucky closed the door for her. "It is much more you than the others."

"What others?" she asked and then it dawned on her. "Did Natasha send you pictures?" He nodded as he got in and turned the key, starting the car. "All of them?" she squeaked in a mix of rage and embarrassment.

"Yeah" he said, the corners of his mouth lifting up into a half smile.

"Shut up" she said rolling her eyes with a faint blush in her cheeks.

Their first stop was a quiet little place that it had taken Bucky a lot of effort to find, but it was an old-time dance club. "Retro" they had advertised it as, it looked more modern than what he was used to, but neither him or Candace had a taste for the 21st century's idea of what constituted dancing. Not that it didn't look like fun, but not in public. He helped her out of the car, taking her hand and leading her into the little club. There weren't many people there, a few middle aged and elderly couples who looked at them funnily.

Candace noticed and leaned up and whispered in Bucky's ear "They probably are thinking, who are these young folk in here. Never mind the fact you're older than any of them" she teased.

"I don't know" he said grinning down at her "that guy over there with the lady in the dress with the lace collar might be ninety-nine" he joked.

They ignored the others and just danced. A few of the old couples came and talked to them, engaging them in conversation and complimenting them on how nice they looked and how much things had changed and it was refreshing to see two young people in this day and age dancing like civilized folk. A few of the older men went on tangents about the good old days, and Bucky did all he could not to bust a grin as they spoke to him like he was some juvenile, despite the fact he had at least ten years on the oldest one of them. After dancing their fill they left. He got on the Pacific Coast Highway, the sun setting in the west over the glimpses of the ocean they caught from the road. He exited off south of Laguna and drove to a nice secluded little restaurant that backed onto the beach. He was glad Tony had been around when making reservations otherwise there would have been no way he could have gotten them without Tony's clout. Dinner passed with the two of them lost in each other's eyes.

After going to pay the bill and finding it had been payed, courtesy of Stark Industries he went to the table and took Candy's hand, leading her down the steps at the back of the restaurant down to the beach below. "You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet Bucky Barnes" she said holding to his arm as she took off her sparkling silver heels so she could walk barefoot on the sand.

"I do my best" he said picking her up in his arms and carrying her as if she weighed no more than a notebook.

"And you take things literally too" she said pressing a kiss to his forehead. He set her down, taking her hand and walking in the moonlight with her. They walked in silence until they came across a long peer running out into the sea. They walked to the end, dangling their feet off the edge and looking up at the stars above.

"I'm so glad I lived to see this time" he said staring up at the sky.

"Why?"

"It's not that I like how things have gone, I'd rather have courted you back in my own old fashioned days. But I love you and you were born in this time period, so you make it worth it. All the more proof that we were meant to be, considering as you're a good old fashioned kind of girl. Which don't think I know how rare you and your kind are these days" he said leaning over and pressing a kiss to her temple. She sat there quietly, overwhelmed by the fact that to him she was worth all he had been through to get there.

"I love you" she said leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too, and I always will" he squeezed her a little closer "and not until those stars up there" he pointed, her head looking up at the stars "fall, will I ever stop falling for you" he then took advantage of the welcoming angle of her head and kissed her softly.


	18. That Sunday, That Summer

The first Sunday of September dawned warm and only grew warmer. The indoor wedding had been great forward thinking. Candace was a frenzy in the little bride's room at the church.

"Stop fluttering and sit so I can do your hair" her mom demanded, forcing Candace into the chair as she pulled out the curling iron.

When her hair was done Sharon came and helped her two friends from college do her makeup whie Natasha played go between for the bride and groom's parties.

In the hall outside the sanctuary Bucky stood fidgeting in his suit while Steve helped him redo his tie and adjusted his boutonniere. "All ready" he said giving his pal an encouraging smile and a pat on the shoulder. Not having a great many friends Bucky's groomsmen consisted of Steve as best man of course, T'Challa, Clint, and Sam.

Bucky went and stood at the end of the aisle. Soft music started to play and the bridesmaids assembled. First Steve walked Sharon in her deep blue bridesmaid dress with its flowing skirt, escorting her to her spot and then taking his place on Bucky's right. Next T'Challa walked Wanda down and left her at Sharon's side, taking his spot. Clint and Sam escorted Candace's two college friends and then lined up with the others. All eyes were glued on the door when Richard Ross came in with his daugther all in white. The dress had a lace overlay and little off shoulder sleeves of lace flowers. It flowed behind her as she walked, the rustle adding to the music that played as she and her father progressed down the aisle.

Bucky had never thought her capable of looking any more beautiful than she already did in his eyes, but the white dress and her curly hair mostly down with a bit pinned back made her look angelic. And the smile, the smile that lit up the entire church. Dr Ross escorted her to the altar leaving her across from the man who's wife she was soon to be. He reached out his hand, taking hers, and breathing at long last as he did because up until then he hadn't been sure if she was actually real. She looked like an apparition of beauty itself standing across from him all in white.

Their vows were very traditional and simple. Bucky had thought of writing his own for her, but traditional best suited them both and so they agreed to go with the classic 'til death do us part' vows. The minister who had baptized Candace in that very church looked to the man she was marrying her.

"Do you, James Buchanan Barnes take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and honour her as Christ loves the church, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, and to keep yourself only to her, as long as you both shall live, til death do you part?"

"I do" he said smiling, squeezing Candy's hand, his heart racing.

The preacher turned to Candace.

"Do you, Candace Renee" he began, leaving off her last name seeing as it was about to change in just a couple moments "take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to honour and obey as proscribed in the scriptures, to have and to hold, in sickness and in healty, to keep yourself to him alone, as long as you both shall live, til death do you part?"

"I do" she said smiling sentimentally, her eyes almost welling with tears of joy.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife" he paused for effect and just to torment the man who was now the husband of the girl he had saw grow up in that very church. "You may kiss the bride" he said finally and watched as Bucky's face lit up.

He leaned down pressing a soft kiss to Candy's lips and then dipping her back in something that made more than one of the older members of the crowd at the church think of the picture of the sailor kissing the girl in the middle of Time Square on V-J Day. They seperated and he took her hand, leading her to the reception in the Fellowship Hall where food was layed out by the little old ladies of the church. Because they weren't going to have her go off into married life without sharing all their favourite recipes in a pot luck kind of style. The wedding party took pictures while the rest of the guests got food and seated themselves. Bucky and Candy couldn't take their eyes off of each other.

"I wish my family could have been here" he confessed to her quietly as they sat at the table, surrounded by their closest friends.

"I know" she said leaning her head on his shoulder. "I wish I could have known them" squeezing his hand she gestured around them "but look Steve is practically family, and the rest of them all care for you very much" she encouraged.

"I know" he looked down at her, his arm around her shoulders "besides, how could I be sad on a day like this? I just married the prettiest girl in the world" he said giving her a sweet kiss.

"Not sure about all that" she said, but their attention was distracted as a slideshow began to play of Bucky. Some of the guests who were less aware of the happenings in the world or just hadn't made the connection, wondered why all of his pictures were in black and white and old. The song that played along with them was 'Magnet and Steel' which confused a lot of people but just made Bucky glare at Sam who had been put in charge of making said collage. Sam grinned. Then came the collage of Candace set to Nat King Cole's song 'Candy'.

"I remember this song" he said smiling "I danced to it" Bucky said. "Funny how I never thought of it before." He smiled at the memory, though he wished the girl in his arms for the song back in 1944 had been Candy. He was glad she was there now, never to leave.

The speeches came. Steve went first, allowing Cherish, Candy's best friend from college to collect herself and her thoughts.

"When I met Bucky on a playground when I was eight years old I had no idea the adventures and impossible things we'd see and do. From then on we went around together, he stuck up for me when no one else cared, he always had my back. He always had a way with girls" Bucky blushed, hoping Steve wouldn't expose his past as a charmer too much. "He had a new one on his arm every other week, had enough to spare his scrawny pal a girl so we could go on double dates" Candy looked over at her husband with an arch smirk which made him cringe towards the empty spot to his left where Steve had been sitting. "I doubted he'd settle down, not until he was like 90, which wasn't too far off" he said grinning at Bucky. "But then, after the war, after both of us going under and then finding him alive in the current era" Steve didn't say anything further about Bucky's state at the time. "When I saw him and Candace together when they took him out of cryo I couldn't help but think that something could happen there. And now, just over a year after he saved her life in that back alley we're here, celebrating their wedding. All I can say is, pal, I'm with the two of you til the end of the line, and you guys have to promise to invite me for the occasional breakfast because she makes amazing french toast" he said with a chuckle. He took his seat and Cherish stood up to the little microphone.

"Candace became my best friend when we got randomly put together in the same dorm freshman year at Texas A&M and the first word I would have used to describe her after knowing her for a week was classic, she was this girl who seemed like she walked out of another era. While everyone else wanted to go to the club and dance a little too close for her comfort with random strangers she read books and pined for the days when men knew how to treat a lady. As I grew to know her and become her best friend I couldn't help but hear the occasional rants about the hopelessness of finding a good man in a world gone wrong. I distinctly remember her saying "if I can't have Mr Darcy I'll take some guy from the 40's, the last generation that knew how to treat girls like we were important. We laughed at the time" she paused as those that knew Bucky's age giggled around the room. "And so I hoped she'd find her old fashioned gentleman, someone who loved dancing as much as she did, and knew that dancing wasn't just squeezing your body as close as humanly possible to another person and swaying, the footwork" Cherish gave Candace a knowing look. She had been known to rant about how footwork was what made dancing. "Then she calls me up this spring, tells me that she's in love" she shook her head "I thought, here we go, another high hopes ending in disappointment or the friend-zone. Because hey, guys these days are dumb and think of principled girls as just good friends and never think to date them" she said throwing a glare at a couple of Candy's guy friends who she had went through crushes with in her early college days. "Then she explained that this guy liked her as much as she liked him, I got detailed descriptions of walks and a couple poems recited over the phone that were honestly pretty phenomenal. But being protective I was still suspicious, I needed to know more. Then she told me that he wasn't just acting old-fashioned, he literally was old-fashioned. She had lucked out and found the perfect man for her classic standards. I was beyond thrilled and couldn't wait to meet this boy with the funny name. Now that I have, all I can say is thank you for being everything my best friend needs, deserves and ever wished for. And take care of her or else" she said with a grin before resuming her seat.

Dinner was finished and they went outside to the pavillion that had been set up with a floor for dancing. The sun was setting and the evening breezes had cooled the heat of the day away. The couple walked to the dancefloor Candy gathering her skirts as her pastor's daughter, who was a talented musician, and a good friend of hers settle at the keyboard that sat to the side of the floor. She softly began to play a moderately slowed down cover of 'Love Like Winter' which Candace's brother sang in his very melodic and haunting voice. He had gotten the musical talent in the family blood. The lyrics were sang with the refrain always referring to a woman, because for Bucky it had been Candace who had drained the war from him, he had thought he had been so saturated in blood that it had been a surprise when her lips had kissed his cheek that she hadn't tasted it. But here they were, dancing together to a song that summed up how she had pulled him from his darkness. His being known as the Winter Soldier only added to the appropriateness of the song.

Slowly the song drifted off to an end with some flourishes on the piano as accents to it's close, and a way to lengthen it because the pianist was so caught up in the moment that her childhood friend was enjoying that she couldn't help but want to drag it out a little longer for theirs, and everyone watching's sake. At last the final notes trailed away into silence and after pressing a short but ardent kiss to her lips Bucky lead her on his arm to her father.

She looked up into her daddy's eyes, so much the same as her own but they were almost misty as he looked at her, slowly leading her into the slow rhythm of 'Tough Little Boys'. He thought of the blonde curly-top with pigtails covered in mud. He remembered the first time a boy made her cry and how her momma had been forced to stop him from going all Hulk on the twelve-year old boy that would dare to hurt his little girl's feelings. He remembered teaching her to dance and trips to the lake water-skiing. Her college graduation and everything from the moment her mom had announced she was pregnant up til then clouded through his head. He looked down at her, her eyes were bright and full of joy. He tore himself away from that gaze and looked over her shoulder at the man in the tuxedo who had swept her away from him. He hugged her tight as the song started to come to a close. He didn't want to think of letting her go. It had only partially hit him when he had left her across from Bucky at the altar, but now, having to let go of her felt like he was letting go of his own life. He felt her lean up and kiss his cheek, two tiny teardrops dropping onto her shoulder from his eyes as she did, and then she was gone. She had slipped from his loose grasp, and was hiding her emotions against Bucky's chest. It had once been his that she had went to to cry on, but now it was her husband, as it should be, but it didn't make being replaced feel any easier.

The sky grew darker as the last traces of the sun vanished behind the horizon but the dancing went on. Everyone enjoyed themselves, Sam enjoying the chance to flaunt his dance moves while Clint, whose family had also been invited, just did goofy dance moves to embarrass his wife. A couple of hours passed when Steve came up to the happy couple and announced the car would be ready soon. Bucky and Candy went around making their farewells and then a chair was brought out.

"Gather 'round all you bachelors" the DJ announced. Sam and Steve along with a troop of others "it's time for the garter toss"

Bucky escorted Candy to the chair and helped her sit down, getting down on one knee as he had when he had proposed. He lifted her skirt a little, putting his hand where he thought the garter would be, but found more dress between his fingers and her skin. "Why is there so much dress here?" he complained before ducking his head under the skirt making Candace blush. In the dim light that filtered through the layers of her dress' skirt he spotted the blue garter around her thigh. Gently he removed it, planting a soft kiss just above her knee before removing himself from the folds of her skirt. He looked up and saw her face was a cherry red and her eyes had a soft glow that just made him look forward to their honeymoon all the more. Chuckling he stood to his feet, the guys all gathered around behind him under a large mimosa tree, anxiously awaiting fate to favor them with the blessing of being the next one to find a bride. Bucky stretched the stretchy band of the garter and shot it back, it getting caught in the branches of the tree.

"Great" Sam said just as Steve swung himself up into the branches to retrieve it. "No you don't" Sam shouted, climbing up the tree, the two men reached the band simultaneously. "I got it first"

"No you did not" Steve said tugging at it to get it free from Sam.

"Our children are fighting" Candy teased looking up in the tree with Bucky. He chuckled.

"Redo, drop it you two and I'll try it again."

"Not happening, I definitely had it first" Steve said stubbornly.

"Don't make me come up there" Bucky warned. Steve was being his obstinate self. He took off his jacket and handed it to Candy and got in the tree too. "Hand it back you two" he said in exasperation, grabbing hold of it, his force freeing it from Sam's grasp.

"I got it Steve" said before an ominous crack sounded. The branch had given in to the strain of having three full grown men bouncing around in a fight on it. Steve landed first "I still have it!" he declared before Sam fell on top of him, making him grunt, and then Bucky landed on top of the two of them, making Sam whine and Steve take an extra second to get up.

"Happy now Steve?" Sharon chastized softly.

"Yes I am" he said getting up and rubbing his back as he put the garter around his arm grinning.

"Now you ladies" the DJ called out and the girls with many a squeal and a groan gathered, not under the tree. Candace turned around, waiting until the silence told her they were ready. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the yellow roses and other flowers that composed her bouquet before she sent it sailing behind her. Right into Wanda's arms. Everyone cheered and the car was brought around for the two of them. It was a wedding present from Tony, who claimed he had three and not enough time to drive any of them. Either way, it was a way for the billionaire to try and make ammends for adding misery to Bucky's life during the schism with the Avengers. A schism that with the pending ammendments would be healed soon hopefully.

Bucky helped her into the car and then got in, Tony giving him a grin as he threw the keys to him.

"I think I can trust you to keep the party going after we leave" Candace said from the passenger seat. Tony Stark just grinned. He couldn't get too wild, most of the attendents were church going folk, but he knew how to behave decently, or at least semi-decent. And Steve was still there too, so someone would be around to keep him in line.

The car started and the guests all shouted their congratulations and goodbyes. Bucky turned and looked at the woman beside him in the car. It had bucket seats, so much for cuddling with her on the drive. He gave her a grin and then the car rolled away from the scene of the reception. Two hours later they were at Possum Kingdom Lake inside the cozy cabin they had rented for the first few nights of their two week honeymoon. Bucky knew he was her first, and he honestly didn't remember having done the deed before going under in the 40's. So as far as he was concerned she was his first too. First, last, the only one he'd ever love. He was going to hold fast to her until the stars fell and the world came to an end. Because if anything ever happened to her it would be the end of his world. All his sentiments were only heightened when he woke up in the morning, his arm loosely around her bare shoulders under soft sheets with her head pillowed against his chest. He'd been through hell to find his angel and now that he had her, had all of her and he was all hers he couldn't think of a day without her in his life from then to when they were old (or for him, older) and grey and sitting on a porch watching the sunset in the sunset of their lives, but still lost in love and lost in each other's eyes. Those soft sleepy grey eyes that were just then fluttering awake.


	19. Study War No More

_Ten Years Later_

"Daddy" came the voice from under a slightly oversized Yankees cap.

"What is it Ricky?" Bucky asked, bending over closer to his son's height, pulling the brim of the hat up so he could see his eldest's face. The blue eyes looked back at him.

"Can I go to uncle Steve's? he said he'd play catch with me today" Richard Barnes said excitedly.

"Of course kiddo" he said tapping the bill of the hat back down into his son's face "just be careful crossing the road. And don't try and play hide and seek with Uncle Steve's shield again, got it?" he warned.

"Yes daddy" he said rushing out the front door, looking both ways before crossing to the other side of the road and going to the home of Captain America.

He knocked on the door.

"Hey Ricky" came a sweet feminine voice.

"Hey Aunt Sharon" he said "where's Uncle Steve?"

"I see how it is, baseball is afoot I don't even get so much as a how'd you do. What would your mother say?"

"How are you Aunt Sharon?" Ricky asked obligatorily, scanning the entryway for his uncle. Suddenly he felt himself picked up and flopped like a bag of flower over his uncle's shoulder. "Uncle Steve" he said delighted. Even with the two families meeting almost every day, the kids still were excited about seeing their aunt and uncle. Steve and Sharon's two kids were a little young to do much other than giggle and crawl or toddle around, trying to get into things they shouldn't.

"Where's Ricky?" Candy asked coming into the kitchen with baby George on her hip and her twins clinging to her legs as she tried to walk, lifting them on her feet as she walked.

"At Steve's" Bucky replied. "You look like you could use some help honey" he said picking up the twins, one in each arm. Their blonde hair a mess from having a little too much fun in the playpen.

"Thanks" she said chuckling. She looked out the back window to see Sarah, their second child, running through the backyard sprinklers giggling hysterically as her cousin Carol, Bobby's little girl, followed her example.

Candy looked into Bucky's eyes, and he into hers, and for a moment the squirming kids in their arms and the giggles became background sound, like sweet music playing softly driven by the beat of their two hearts. He leaned over and gave her a sweet quick kiss before crying in the backyard ensued. Sarah had tripped and hit her knee on the concrete patio and therefore momma's kisses and daddy's arms were required to make all better.

Life wasn't always simple for the Barnes' and Rogers' but it was always filled with love, and they were free. Ever since the amendments to the Accords had put the responsibility for the actions of super heroes back into the hands of the heroes themselves there had been peace. Fractured friendships were mended and while now Steve and Bucky were more of a reserve, wanting to spend more time with their families, they still were at the ready as soon as crisis threatened. Whenever freedom was at risk for others the two best friends from a bygone era would always be willing to risk their lives to protect that freedom.

Bucky had been free since Wanda had severed the last ties with Hydra and the longer he lived around Candace, the more whole he became. The more like the sauntering sergeant with the jaunty hat and the big grin of yesteryear he became. Guilt faded to memory and pain to motivation to save others from pain. And while some nights he still woke up in a panic, having had flashbacks to the bloodshed done by the fist of Hydra, there was always Candy's hand to settle on his heaving chest and calm his nerves. Or follow him out of bed to wherever he had gone as soon as she realized that half the bed was missing it's beloved occupant. He had her to help steady him and she had him to be the shoulder she could lean on when life weighed her down. Together, as a team with God as their guide they were capable of overcoming anything, and they did.


End file.
